Growing up in the late 1800s, author Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery was raised by her grandparents on Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. A tiny, rural and bucolic land that allowed her imagination to run wild. She dreamed of fame and adoration from her peers, and today, almost 120 years since the publication of her seminal novel and today’s Book Club Spotlight, Anne of Green Gables, PEI’s thriving culture and tourist economy have her to thank. Despite its age, Anne of Green Gables is a timeless story of youthful mischievousness, fun, whimsy, and the importance of belonging.
Siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert have sent for an orphan boy whom they can raise to help tend their farm as they age. Instead of a strapping young boy, a waifish red haired little girl named Anne Shirley waits for them at the train depot. Despite their misgivings, the pair quickly fall for Anne’s charm and feisty spirit, deciding to let her stay and not call for a boy after all. As Anne grows up on the idyllic Prince Edward Island, her excitable, imaginative, and stubborn temperament gets her into trouble but her caring family and community help her grow and mature into a bright young woman ready to face the world. Laden with unforgettable characters, Anne Shirley’s world is one to get lost in.
“ ‘Dear old world’, she murmured, ‘you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.”
– L.M. Montgomery
As a child, Montgomery was not allowed to read novels, but poetry shaped her young mind into a romantic style that is evident in her lush descriptions of the world Anne finds herself in. A small girl, looking at a breathtaking world, taking the time to soak in the beauty around her. Its emphasis on community, self-growth, and life’s natural beauty makes it an enduring classic that is taught in schools around the world. Anne’s youthful adventures on Prince Edward Island have a tremendous staying power, translated into over 37 languages, made into movies and tv shows, the novel has a large following all over the world, with an especially strong contingent in Japan. Reading Groups of all ages should enjoy this beautiful novel, and revel in its soft and entertaining lessons of growing up.
“People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them, haven’t you?”
If you’re interested in requesting Anne of Green Gables for your book club, you can find the Request Form here. There are 6 copies (A librarian must request items)
Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables. L.C. Page & Company. (1908)
