Who wrote this book and when?
Lucy Maud Montgomery published this book in 1915 – six years after the second in the series.

Has there been a film version?
Not covering this part of Anne’s life, no.

Who are the important characters?
Anne Shirley – now 20, Anne is as spirited as ever and still searching for the romance in life
Priscilla Grant- one of Anne’s dearest friends and room mates
Philippa Gordon – a very vivacious and beautiful girl who becomes best friends with Anne
Stella – another of Anne’s friends
Gilbert Blythe – Anne’s former nemesis, now one of her chums
Royal Gardner – the perfect romantic ideal, according to Anne
Marilla Cuthbert – Anne’s surrogate mother
Rachel Lynde – Marilla’s housemate, a gossip with a good heart
Davy and Dora – twins whom Marilla has adopted
Diana Barry – Anne’s bosom friend

What’s it about?
This story covers the next chapter of Anne Shirley’s life – her four years at Redmond college. During these four years of education, Anne is presented with no less than six proposals of marriage and is faced with both the marriages and deaths of her primary school friends. She’s forced to take a more mature look at her aspirations and dreams and what is possible and what she’ll have to relegate to childhood memory. And meanwhile, Davy still challenges Anne’s patience and sense of humor and she still manages to get in just as many scrapes as she did before college.

Why is this book a classic/bestseller?
It’s part of a great series.

Do you recommend I read this book?
Yes, very highly so.

How did this book make your list?
I love the entire series and the TV mini-series.

Has it won any awards?
No.

Favorite quotes:
“After Davy had gone to bed Anne wandered down to Victoria Island and sat there alone, curtained with fine-spun moonlit gloom, while the water laughed around her in a duct of brook and wind. Anne had always loved that brook. Many a dream had she spun over its sparkling water to days gone by. She forgot lovelorn youths, and the cayenne speeches of malicious neighbors, and all the problems of her girlish existence.” – p 9

“There had been no snow up to this time, but as Diana crossed the old log bridge on her homeward way the white flakes were beginning to flutter down over the fields and woods, russet and gray in their dreamless sleep. Soon the far-away slopes and hills were dim and wraith-like through their gauzy scarfing, as if pale autumn had flung a misty bridal veil over her hair and was waiting for her wintry bridegroom.” – p 55

Anything else?
I never really understood why the CBC never put this book in the miniseries. So sad. Although, apparently the musical is based on this book, so maybe I should go see that sometime.

Personal thoughts:
Reading this chronicle in the Anne series always makes me a little contemplative. Anne is surrounded with reminders that she’s growing up – as much as she doesn’t want to. She’s going to college, her friends are getting married and having children, some of her friends are dying, and she herself is getting proposed to right and left. Everyone around her seems obsessed with finding a spouse when all Anne really wants is to enjoy life and stay young and innocent. I’ve felt that way a lot the past few years, like everyone around me is in a big rush to be an adult and I’m kind of hanging back. I suppose that’s why this series is such a classic one – no matter how old you are, there is an Anne book with an Anne that girls can relate to.

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July 9, 2007

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