Rainbow Valley (Anne of Green Gables #7)

Synopsis

Anne Shirley is grown up, has married her beloved Gilbert, and is the mother of six mischievous children. These boys and girls discover a special place all their own, but they never dream of what will happen when a strange family moves into an old mansion nearby. The Meredith clan is two boys and two girls-- and a runaway named Mary Vance. Soon the Merediths join Anne's children in their private hideous, intent on carrying out their plans to save Mary from the orphanage, to help the lonely minster find happiness, and to keep a pet rooster from the soup pot. There's always an adventure brewing in the sun-dappled world of Rainbow Valley.

Loved

• The Blythe children. As I said in my review of Anne of Ingleside, I just love these kids. They are just as passionate, sweet, and dreamy as Anne, but also have Gilbert's sense of humor and mischief. They are so lovable as they each learn their own life lessons by misfortune, miscalculation, and mishap. It's gratifying to see the children develop into their own little people, with unique personalities, flaws, beliefs, and dreams.

• The Meredith children. These kids. They are also passionate and sweet, but have such a propensity for mishap and misadventure. These poor children try to be the very best they can for their widower father, the minister, but time and time again they fail to live up to the expectations of his congregation. However, their spirit, pluck, and sweetness make them so endearing, that they keep winning the hearts of the Glen despite their flaws. I laughed out loud several times at their "scrapes," witty comments, mistaken assumptions, and especially their attempts to make up for these things.

• Rosemary West. Rosemary is a somewhat tragic figure in this story, her love having drowned while they were engaged, and not being able to marry anyone else because of her sister. But Rosemary never sulks, never feels bad for herself, and soaks in the beauty of life wherever she can find it. I love her romance in this story and her strong, loyal spirit.

• Susan Baker. We get to know Susan a little better in this story, and she's just a champ. She is so spunky and strong, and has the most golden heart out there. Her commentary on the children and her involvement in their lives is both hilarious and touching. I also love her adoration of Anne and Gilbert and the way she is truly part of their family.

Didn't Love

• I remember not enjoying this book when I was younger because Anne doesn't play a major role in the story. That didn't bother me as much this time because I love her kids so much, but I do wish she was in the story more. Because the story is more about the Meredith children, we don't get as many Anne and Gilbert parenting moments as we do in Anne of Ingleside and Rilla of Ingleside, which I missed.

Content

• Language: 
• Mary Vance says a few "swears," such as "darn" and taking the Lord's name in vain.

• Sexual content: 
• No sexual content.

• Violence:
• Referenced fist fights between children.

Overall Thoughts

I think this is still my least favorite of the series, just because Anne isn't in the story very much. However, I still loved reading it and really enjoyed getting to know the Meredith children again. As a kid I skipped many of the parts with the Merediths because I just wanted to read about the Blythes. But the Merediths are so lovable and I found myself enraptured with their (mis)adventures and spunky personalities. Rainbow Valley truly is a magical place for the Blythe and Meredith children, and reading about their adventures there brings back the magic of childhood and the nostalgia of simpler days.