“I am so glad that I live in a world where there are Octobers.” Thus says Anne Shirley, a beloved and memorable literary character that you will want to meet. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery will find its way into your heart, becoming a story that you will return to again and again. In the fictional town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island, Lucy Maud Montgomery has brought to life characters that will remain etched in your mind long after the last page is turned.
In this story you will meet:
Anne Shirley
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, comes to live at Green Gables. Her coming to live there is the result of a mistake and causes no small amount of surprise to the inhabitants of Green Gables. By some accounts she is skinny and homely and has hair as red as carrots. Thus far in her life, her experience has been with a world that did not want her. Following the death of her parents when she was an infant, she was passed around to various households and finally landed at an orphan asylum. Despite the hardships of her childhood, Anne is lively, imaginative, and ambitious. Therefore, she tackles life head on and has a penchant for getting into scrapes.
Matthew Cuthbert
Matthew Cuthbert is the sixty-year-old bachelor who owns and farms Green Gables. Every time I read Anne of Green Gables, I find myself longing to be like Matthew Cuthbert. He is shy, yes, but he is also tender-hearted, kind, and thoughtful. Anne captures his big heart from their first meeting. Thus it is he who persuades Marilla to keep Anne, because “they might be of some good to her.” He loves deeply and understands Anne in a way that Marilla is not always able to do.
Marilla Cuthbert
Marilla Cuthbert is the spinster sister of Matthew. The pair of them maintain the family farm on the north shore of Prince Edward Island. Marilla is hard working, and as such she is also practical and sensible to a fault. She succumbs to Matthew’s persuasion and agrees to keep Anne at Green Gables to please him. Marilla insists that she will have full charge of Anne’s bringing up, and Matthew is not to “put his oar in and interfere with her methods.” She is unfailingly strict, and yet as the story progresses it becomes obvious that she too loves Anne deeply. It is just hard for her to express that love freely.
Mrs Rachel Lynde
Mrs Rachel Lynde is an opinionated old woman. She takes pride in giving such opinions to all who live in Avonlea. Accordingly, it is her personal business to know everyone else’s business. She lives on the farm neighboring Green Gables and is often quite difficult to get along with. And yet, she somehow manages to make you love her despite her crustiness.
Diana Barry
In Diana Barry, Anne meets a kindred spirit who becomes an enduring friend. From the point of their first meeting, Anne and Diana together face all of the joys and challenges that come their way. From Sunday school picnics to scholastic pursuits to afternoon tea parties gone awry, Anne and Diana maintain their friendship through thick and thin. Whenever their friendship is put to the test, it comes out the other side stronger and more devoted than before.
Gilbert Blythe
And then there is Gilbert Blythe. Gilbert is every school girl’s dream beau–except, of course, Anne’s. Gilbert is charming, handsome, and smart. He has a propensity to tease the girls, and they take it in stride. But when he chooses to tease Anne about her red hair, he receives the full force of her indignation. From that point on, Anne views Gilbert not only as a bitter enemy but also as her biggest classroom rival. All of Anne’ hopes rest on being able to finish each term of study ahead of Gilbert in every single subject.
And finally, the work as a whole:
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
I hope that this cast of characters has piqued your interest in reading Anne of Green Gables. It is the perfect read for the fall season. Many of the scenes take place in the one-room school house. Over the course of the book, you get to know the many scholars of Avonlea, easily identifying with their challenges, foibles, and adventures. The author succeeds at giving you a vested interest in the characters of Avonlea, not only inside but also outside of the schoolroom.
And none is more endearing than Anne herself. You will chuckle along as she faces one trial after another, often the result of her own misguided decisions. Yet she prides herself with the knowledge that she rarely makes the same mistake twice. She chases life to the full with her endless supply of dreams and her tenacity to bring them about. Her one unresolved muse is whether or not she should have forgiven Gilbert Blythe when she had the chance.
Read Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery and experience a sigh of contentment when you turn to the last page. You will be able to whisper softly with Anne, “God’s in his heaven, all’s right with the world.”