Jungle Girl (novel)

Jungle Girl is a pulp fiction novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was initially serialized in The Blue Book Magazine in 1931, and later published in book form by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. in 1932.

The story centers around Joan Madison, an American woman raised in the remote jungles of Southeast Asia (specifically, Indochina). She is the daughter of a scientist who disappeared years earlier while searching for a lost civilization. Joan possesses exceptional survival skills and a deep understanding of the jungle.

The narrative follows Joan's adventures as she encounters various dangers, including hostile tribes, wild animals, and treacherous explorers. She is often torn between her allegiance to the jungle and her growing attraction to the male protagonist, an American man who enters her world. The novel explores themes of civilization versus nature, lost worlds, and the inherent nobility of the "noble savage."

Like many of Burroughs' adventure novels, Jungle Girl features exotic locales, perilous situations, and a strong, independent female character. While the novel presents a romanticized and often stereotypical view of jungle life, it remains a significant example of early 20th-century pulp adventure fiction and contributed to the popular "jungle girl" trope. The novel's success led to a film adaptation of the same name in 1941.