The Anne of Green Gables Series

L. M. Montgomery's Imaginative Tale of the Orphan Anne Shirley

Jul 25, 2009

L. M. Montgomery's beloved children's book series takes Anne Shirley from childhood to motherhood, and has become classic children's literature.

With the publication of Anne of Green Gables, L. M. Montgomery introduced readers to the enchanting orphan Anne Shirley. What was originally intended as a single book grew to eight books and numerous short stories as her publisher and the public demanded to read more about Anne, her friends, and life on Prince Edward Island. Montgomery’s books are popular because of their likeable, well-written characters and their vivid, beautiful imagery.

The orphan Anne Shirley is accidentally adopted by the elderly siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. She quickly charms them and the town of Avonlea with her imagination and humor. She becomes best friends with Diana Barry, meets the intriguing Gilbert Blythe, and grieves when Matthew dies. She excels academically and eventually goes to Queen’s College to become a teacher.

This book covers the two years that Anne is a teacher at the Avonlea school. She helps Marilla adopt twins, the mischievous but fun Davy and the sweet but boring Dora. She is a founder of the Avonlea Village Improvement Society, which meets with some resistance from people who don’t like its meddling. And her relationship with Gilbert Blythe develops.

Anne spends four years at Redmond College earning her B.A. Montgomery was a champion of women’s higher education, and she made Anne an intelligent heroine who excels in school. While rooming with her college friends at Patty’s Place, Anne not only achieves academic success but also pursues her writing career and has some of her stories published in magazines. She also has some romantic adventures, and eventually becomes engaged to her old friend Gilbert.

Newlyweds Anne and Gilbert move to Ingleside and befriend a new group of eccentric characters. Anne learns the lighthouse keeper Captain Jim’s sad story, and helps the opinionated spinster Miss Cornelia get married. She also meets the mysterious Leslie Moore and helps her marry her true love Owen Ford. The domestic helper Susan Baker becomes part of the Blythe household, helping Anne and Gilbert through the death of their first child Joyce and with the birth of their second child Jem.

Anne is grown up in this book, so it focuses on her six children and their friends, particularly the four children of the widowed minister, who get a stepmother, and the orphan Mary Vance, who gets adopted by Miss Cornelia.

This book is set against the backdrop of Canada’s involvement in WWI, and Montgomery filled it with historical information and her own experiences in living through this tough time. Rilla is Anne’s youngest child, and she grows from being a frivolous teenager to being a mature young woman because of the responsibilities and hardships thrust on her and her siblings during the war.

The events of this book actually occur between Anne of the Island and Anne’s House of Dreams. Anne is a high school teacher for three years while she waits for her fiancé Gilbert to finish medical school. She befriends the hostile Pringle family and the embittered teacher Katherine Brooks.

This book takes place between Anne’s House of Dreams and Rainbow Valley. Anne and Gilbert have moved to a new house to raise their growing family, and their children start to have adventures just like their mother did when she was their age.

Even though L. M. Montgomery's stories about Anne Shirley were written decades ago, they are still popular books because of their believable characters, vivid imagery, and entertaining plots that keep readers interested in the little orphan girl from Prince Edward Island.

The copyright of the article The Anne of Green Gables Series in Young Adult Fiction is owned by Emily Chauviere. Permission to republish The Anne of Green Gables Series in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.