When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, the elderly, unmarried brother and
sister who lived at Green Gables farm on Prince Edward Island, asked
Mrs. Spencer to obtain an orphan child for them, they specified they
wanted a boy to help with the chores. Nonetheless, when Matthew
met the train, he found a scrawny carrot-top girl named Anne Shirley
waiting.
Marilla is determined to send Anne back. She doesn’t need any
help in the house but Matthew, who has heart trouble, does need help in
the barn and fields. Anne is a chatterbox, and much of what she
says sounds like complete nonsense to sensible Marilla. The child
does not even know how to say her prayers! Moreover, she is
absurdly sensitive about having red hair, considering herself
unattractive on account of it and going to ridiculous and disastrous
lengths to change it.
Despite her gruff manner, Marilla is a kind soul and surrenders to
Anne’s pleading to be allowed to stay. Anne has a rocky start -
she insults Marilla’s best friend Rachel and breaks a slate over the
head of Gilbert Blythe on the first day of school – but her feistiness
and determined optimism win everyone’s affection.
Anne has a continuing feud with Gilbert Blythe who called her Carrot
Top on the first day of school. They are academic rivals, one or
either of them always having top marks in school.
Anne is
thrilled to find the bosom friend she always wanted in the person of
her neighbour Diana Barry, always a willing follower in Anne’s schemes.
Anne is one of those people who makes things happen. She is full
of dreams and plans and skillful at bringing people together to help
one another and have fun. She gets into trouble because she
rushes heedlessly ahead, usually with Diana in tow, but the scrapes she
gets into are easily fixed and usually result in little worse than her
own embarrassment. Anne is amusing and cheerful and improves the
lives of everyone she touches.
This is the story of how Anne grows up and thrives when she is given a
home by two lonely people. It is the story of the difference one
person can make to others when she is loved and loving, and faces life
with optimistic enthusiasm.
Anne of Green Gables has been enchanting readers ever since the book
was published in 1908. It continues to draw visitors to Prince
Edward Island, Canada to see the province Anne and her creator, Lucy
Montgomery, loved so well.