Customer Reviews

Anne of Green Gables

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Lucy Maud Montgomery's beloved 1908 novel "Anne of Green Gables" continues to captivate readers with its irresistable tale of an orphan girl growing up in late 19th century rural Canada.

As the story opens, middle-aged bachelor Matthew Cuthbert and his spinster sister Marilla decide to take in a young orphan boy to help on their farm in the village of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. By mistake, the orphanage sends a scrawny eleven-year old girl named Anne Shirley, who has red hair, wide eyes, and an active imagination. Matthew is immediately smitten; the stern Marilla takes longer to warm to the little girl but takes pity on her unloved life of poverty and neglect.

Anne has survived a tough start in life, thanks to the armor of her imagination and a good heart. In Avonlea, she will put down roots and make friends, including bosom friend Diana Barry and rival/admirer Gilbert Blythe. She will get involved in a series of youthful misadventures that will delight the reader. Under the tutelage of her foster parents, she will slowly and sometimes painfully blossom into a hardworking, attractive, and caring young teenager. At story's end, Anne will come face to face with a need for mature choices.

"Anne of Green Gables" is a superbly crafted coming of age story which authentically captures its time, its place, and its characters in a sympathetic way. Readers will share Anne's embarrassment over her mistakes, her joy in natural beauty, and her triumph in making a place for herself in the world.

"Anne of Green Gables" is very highly recommended. The cover art of this volume features Megan Follows, who memorably portrayed Anne in a 1985 Canadian TV production and two sequels based on Montgomery's "Anne" books.