Emily of New Moon (Emily #1)

Synopsis

Emily Starr never knew what it was to be lonely-- until her beloved father died. Now Emily's an orphan, and her mother's snobbish relatives are taking her to live with them at New Moon Farm. She's sure she won't be happy. Emily deals with stiff, stern Aunt Elizabeth and her malicious classmates by holding her head high and using her quick wit. 

Things begin to change when she makes friends: with Teddy, who does marvelous drawings; with Perry, who's sailed all over the world with his father yet has never been to school; and above all, with Ilse, a tomboy with a blazing temper. Amazingly, Emily finds New Moon beautiful and fascinating. With new friends and adventures, Emily might someday think of herself as Emily of New Moon.

Loved

• Emily. Emily is similar to Anne Shirley is some ways: both orphans, both unintentionally end up in silly scrapes, both love fiercely even when it's not returned, and both dwell most of the time in fairyland- chasing daydreams and admiring beauty. Emily is different in that she is very sweet and tender, and shows spunk without having a temper. She is mild and always wants to please those around her, but also has a streak of the Murray pride, and when she feels strongly about something she can resolutely, but respectfully, put her foot down. Emily also has a naivety that comes from living with only her father for most of her life, but a wisdom in loving and understanding other people that is beyond her twelve years.

• Emily's love for writing. Another fun thing about Emily is that she is an obsessive writer. With Anne we get letters back and forth with friends and we know that she is an aspiring author, but to Emily writing is everything. We get to see Emily's poems and story ideas evolve as she gets older, and her writing becomes more refined and eloquent. Reading this also shows us that LM Montgomery was quite the poet herself, because some of the poetry Emily composes is really beautiful!

• Emily's friends. This book is also different from Anne in that Emily has a solid crew of friends, rather than just one bosom friend. We have hot-tempered Ilse, who compulsively argues with Emily, but is a dear and lovable friend. There's Perry, who is fearless, ambitious, and ready to exact revenge on anyone who hurts his friends. And finally, Teddy, who is mild and caring, and sees the world through his art (and will maybe one day be a love interest . . . ?) The interactions among these four are hilarious, sweet, and adventurous and provide a refreshing complement to Emily's interactions with stern Aunt Elizabeth.

• The Murrays. Although Aunt Elizabeth and most of the other Murrays are tough as nails and extremely narrow-minded, it's hard not to like them as Emily starts to melt their hearts and help them see beauty and tenderness in their austere world. At first it's easy to hate Aunt Elizabeth, but by the end of the story we realize that she does care for Emily and that she can be understanding and tender in her own austere way. And of course, Aunt Laura and Cousin Jimmy are just the best and love Emily from the beginning- which is refreshing.

• The charm. L.M. Montgomery is my favorite author because of the charm which pervades every one of her books. Her writing always leaves us feeling inspired to appreciate beauty in all its forms, open our hearts to others a little more, and be willing to laugh at life's little misfortunes and mistakes. All of her books, though whimsical, show deep joy and peace even as characters pass through heartbreaking events. I also love her little subplots of happy endings that she throws into all of her books- and this one's does not disappoint! :)

Didn't Love

• I loved everything about this! My only complaint was that I just felt so bad for Emily at the beginning, but just like with Anne, it led to her development and set the stage for some heart melting-- which is Montgomery's specialty ;)

Content

• Language: 
• None.

• Sexual content: 
• A character who has passed away was to believed to have run off with her cousin in an affair, leaving her husband and child behind. Talk and speculation regarding this.

• Violence
• None.


• Other themes:
• Strong Christian themes: Emily and her friends/family talk a lot about God. She prays and addresses Him frequently, and asks a lot of questions about Him.

Overall Thoughts

I knew this would not disappoint, since L.M. Montgomery has never failed me yet! She serves up everything we hope for from her novels: whimsical imaginations, humorous situations, quirky but relatable characters, and tender moments that invite us to open our hearts and minds to the beauty and joy around us. Emily is a heart-warming and humorous coming-of-age story that is strongly reminiscent of the Anne books, but with its own flavor and feel. If you are a fan of Anne, and want to be inspired, laugh, and have your heart melted a little- definitely pick up this sweet story.