Sandy Supposes....

Anne of Green Gables

PROMPT: Writers are great readers so I am told. What is your favourite book? Here's your opportunity to convince me to read it too. Give me a glimpse into the plot and enlighten me about the characters' personalities.

          As an avid reader, I have many 'favourite' books. I carry a bit from each one with me. In the recent past, I have discovered the series of books written by Lucy Maud Montgomery that explore the life of a girl named Anne Shirley. I never read Anne of Green Gables when I myself was a young girl; my perspective is an adult one.

         This is a saga as seen through the eyes of a twelve- year old orphan girl yearning for her own family to love her. She has never known much consideration or kindness in her short life, but she is an inquisitive child blessed with optimism, intelligence, enthusiasm, and a vivid, irrepressible imagination. Despite periods of working as a domestic, she has not lost her natural wonder. Her tale begins anew when she is adopted, sight unseen, by an older couple; a brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.

         They are unmarried, older farmers who decide a boy would be a perfect solution to their need for assistance. Matthew arrives at the train station to pick up a strapping young man, but instead he meets a red-haired girl who chatters non-stop. He doesn't think a child should be left alone there, so he takes her home. Enroute to what will become her new home in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, Anne charms Matthew. "Matthew much to his surprise, was enjoying himself. Like most quiet folks he liked talkative people when they were willing to do the talking themselves and did not expect him to keep up his end of it."

         Marilla is soon charmed as well. She is a spinster raised to work hard and be practical. Until Anne, she hasn't given much thought to beauty and imagination. Her world is a tried and true one revolving around the farm and her brother. She recognizes that Anne means well and has so much love to give. The book details the trials, tribulations, and joy of raising a special child. In her new town, some adults consider Anne to be willful and forward. Matthew and Marilla see her great potential. Anne introduces herself as Anne. "But if you call me Anne, please call me Anne with an 'e'." In her mind, the letter 'e' could be heard and it was vitally important. Without that 'e' her name was ordinary, but with an 'e' it was sophisticated. She also explained herself thusly, "Red hair is my lifelong sorrow."

         She was the new kid in town living without traditional parents, and she was noticeable with her red hair. Many of her escapades resulted from her efforts to both fit in, and be unforgettable. Her antics make me laugh. "Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it." Who can resist a child who spouts the following? "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?"

          Anne had a wry sense of humour. "It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will." I appreciate her unwavering optimism. "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it." "You mayn't get the things themselves; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them." "Imagination is what you need."

         Anne of Green Gables is a series of stories about growth and discovery. Anne and the people in her life learn to accept and celebrate each other.