Anne of Green Gables is the first book
in the Avonlea Series which consists of 10 books, all set on Price Edward Islands, Canada and each narrating the adventures of red haired Anne Shirley as she passes through different stages of her life.
Anne of Green Gables introduces the readers to the colourful world of Anne Shirley, a homely orphan girl of 11years with a gift for gab and an endless imagination. With no one or no place to call her own, she starts out life as Anne of nowhere, until one day, by a fortunate mistake she come to Green Gables, the home of Matthew & Marilla Cuthbert, an elderly brother and sister duo.
Why a fortunate mistake? Because the Cuthberts had no intention of adopting a girl. It was a boy that they had wanted to adopt and so they decide to get down an orphan boy from Nova Scotia through a friend. But when Matthew goes to the railway station to escort the expected boy home what he finds is a girl instead: a skinny,redhaired,freckled girl with a "tongue of her own". Shy and awkward Matthew decides to take her home anyway and let his bold and efficient sister Marilla to sort out the mistake.
During the drive home, Anne, blissfully ignorant of the fact that she had been brought down by a mistake, falls in love with the beauty of Prince Edward Islands and discourses happily about her prospective home. But upon reaching that home she straight away learns from crisp and "no-nonsense" Marilla that there has been a mistake as it is a boy that the Cuthberts had sent for.Marilla decides to send Anne back to the orphanage the very next day.However,Matthew,who had developed a fondness towards Anne during the drive home protests, albeit feebly and seems inclined to keep her.Nevertheless,Marilla takes Anne to the house of her friend the next day.During the drive there however, she learns of Anne''s early unhappy childhood; how she had been orphaned when she was three months old and how she had worked in two households looking after children before finally coming to the orphanage.Anne’s poignant sketch of her pitiful history softens Marilla’s heart and later she makes up her mind to “give in to Matthew’s whim” and adopt Anne.
The moment Marilla tells Anne that she and Matthew have decided to keep her and adopt her marks the turning point of Anne’s life. Now with a home to call her own and with stern and efficient Marilla to overlook her and guide her and kind and affectionate Matthew to “spoil” her , Anne’s real childhood begins. The story from then onwards is a series of adventures of Anne; the numerous scrapes she gets into because of her unlimited imagination, the endless mistakes she makes during her upbringing by Marilla, the various acquaintances she makes with the other residents of the Avonlea village and other children in the Avonlea school, how she finds a “bosom friend” in her neighbour Diana Barry and their delightful times together and finally, how she brings pride and joy to Matthew and Marilla by reaching great heights through her sincere determination and dedication to her school work.
L.M.Montgomery depicts Anne’s various little adventures in colourful language and in a manner which evokes empathy and humour. Anne’s fancy imaginations and charming chatter will keep the readers entertained through out the book.This book is a must- read for everchild growing in to adulthood and can be enjoyed by boys and girls alike.
And…Life goes on Readers of this book can also enjoy the nine other books written by L.M.Montgomery carrrying forward the legend of eccentric yet ordinary Anne Shirley. They are;
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Willows
Anne’s House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside
Chronicles of Avonlea
Further Chronicles of Avonlea