Synopsis
At sixteen, Anne is grown up . . . almost. Her gray eyes shine like evening stars, but her red hair is still as peppery as her temper. In the years since she arrived at Green Gables as a freckle-faced orphan, she has earned the love of the people of Avonlea and a reputation for getting into scrapes. But when Anne begins her job as the schoolteacher, the real test of her character begins. Along with the teaching of the three Rs, she is learning how complicated life can be when she meddles in someone else's romance, finds two new orphans at Green Gables, and wonders about the strange behaviour of the very handsome Gilbert Blythe. As Anne enters womanhood, her adventures touch the heart and the funny bone.
At sixteen, Anne is grown up . . . almost. Her gray eyes shine like evening stars, but her red hair is still as peppery as her temper. In the years since she arrived at Green Gables as a freckle-faced orphan, she has earned the love of the people of Avonlea and a reputation for getting into scrapes. But when Anne begins her job as the schoolteacher, the real test of her character begins. Along with the teaching of the three Rs, she is learning how complicated life can be when she meddles in someone else's romance, finds two new orphans at Green Gables, and wonders about the strange behaviour of the very handsome Gilbert Blythe. As Anne enters womanhood, her adventures touch the heart and the funny bone.
Loved
Loved
- Anne. I just adore Anne. She is one of my favorite characters in literature and I feel like my friendship with her is as real and dear as any non-literary relationship. I love watching Anne grow up and become more mature- less worried about her hair, less dramatic, and more willing to forgive and forget. I love how Anne is so different from other girls in that she is always dreaming, yet very wise in regards to real life challenges and problems. I also love how much she loves people- in this story she spends every moment with her school children, with the twins, with her friends, or visiting neighbors around Avonlea. She is very selfless and loves so easily, which are traits I admire in Anne.
- Paul Irving. I had forgotten all about little Paul Irving until I reread this book! He is basically Anne reincarnated to a ten-year-old boy. His imagination is just as wild and delicate as Anne's, and their understanding of each other's dreams makes their relationship very sweet.
- Miss Lavendar. I had also forgotten about Miss Lavendar and her dreamy love story. Her long-lost romance really is every bit as beautiful and lovely as Anne dreams about. I loved watching Anne play matchmaker and facilitate such a perfect happily ever after for Miss Lavendar, and also for little Paul and his father.
- The twins. Sometimes it seems so strange to me that Marilla and Anne adopted twins, because Green Gables is so precious and the idea of their being other adopted orphans there besides Anne sometimes takes away some of the magic. But as I read this, I fell in love with mischievous Davy and his adoration for Anne. Their relationship is so sweet and I think the twins only add to the magic of Green Gables.
- Avonlea. As I said in my review of Anne of Green Gables, if I could be born anywhere at anytime, I would want to be born in Avonlea in the late nineteenth century. Avonlea has had my heart since I first read this series as a little girl. The quirky but loving people, the gorgeous scenery, the small-town atmosphere, and the magic of Anne's imagination all make Avonlea so dear and quaint. The two extra years Anne spends in Avonlea to teach school are precious and so fun to read about as she gets to spend everyday with Diana, Gilbert, Mr. Harrison, and all the people who mean so much to her. I can hardly stand in the next book when Anne goes away to college and leaves Green Gables- I'm so glad we get a whole extra book of Anne living completely in Avonlea with these lovable people.
Didn't Love
- I thought I had remembered Gilbert being a bigger part of this book, so I was disappointed when he wasn't. He is mentioned often, but there are only a handful of conversations written in the book. I always get frustrated with Anne for being so defensive to him anytime he tries to say anything sentimental, but Anne's long journey in loving Gilbert is part of what makes their love story so beautiful :)
Content
- Language:
- Again, no swearing. Although Davy does frequently use slang such as "whooping" and "bully" and is reproachfully told not to use such language.
- Sexual content:
- Nothing sexual at all. Thank goodness Mrs. Lynde won't have to call out all the heathens and foretell their damnation.
- Violence:
- The extent of the violence we see is Davy fighting with the other boys at school.
- There is also a violent storm that kills and injures a number of people throughout the island.
- Again, no swearing. Although Davy does frequently use slang such as "whooping" and "bully" and is reproachfully told not to use such language.
- Nothing sexual at all. Thank goodness Mrs. Lynde won't have to call out all the heathens and foretell their damnation.
- The extent of the violence we see is Davy fighting with the other boys at school.
- There is also a violent storm that kills and injures a number of people throughout the island.
Overall Thoughts
This novel is much different than the movie Anne of Avonlea, in fact, the movie only shows two or three scenes from this book. If you go into this book expecting it to be like the movie, you will be disappointed. However, if you go into it just loving Anne and not wanting to miss any part of her adventures, you will thoroughly enjoy this story. These two years of Anne's lives are precious since they are her last two years living at Green Gables. I felt like this story was about her reaching outside herself to influence others and her making unlikely friendships around the island that bring illumination and warmth to all involved. Although I wish we got more Gilbert in this book, I still loved watching Anne grow to womanhood and become an influence of growth and love for everyone in Avonlea.
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