Rilla of Ingleside

Rilla of Ingleside (L.M Montgomery)

★★★★★ (5/5)

Short Summary:

Rilla is Anne Blythe's youngest daughter and can't wait to go to her first party, and be a grown up. However, in what she expects to be the happiest years of her life, World War I hits and she is forced to grow up quickly. Throughout the hardships, she goes from a shallow petted baby of the family, to a strong woman.

Key Take-Aways:

Rilla, at the beginning of the book, is pretty, likable, but admittedly shallow. L.M Montgomery did an excellent job of showing character growth in Rilla. I could clearly see how she went from a fine girl to an excellent woman. Also, I really appreciated how at the end of the book, she reflects although the years were full of sadness, she gained much from them, and she didn't want to go back as things were, even throughout the losses.

Quotes:

“Rilla's heart skipped a beat - or, if that be a pysiological impossibility, she thought it did.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Rilla of Ingleside

“I could spank Constantine and skin him alive afterwards, that I could," she exclaimed bitterly.
"Oh, Susan, I'm surprised at you," said the doctor, pulling a long face. "Have you no regard for the proprieties? Skin him alive by all means but omit the spanking.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Rilla of Ingleside

Anne of the Island

Anne of the Island (L.M Montgomery)

★★★★✩ (4/5)


Short Summary:

Anne is off to college at last (much to the disappointment of her friends in Avonlea) and is busy keeping up with school work, making new friends, and living life as only Anne can. Between proposals that don't meet her expectations, and the discovery and purchase of a quaint little house, Anne is living college life to the fullest. One thing is for sure, Anne is no longer the girl who arrived at Green Gables years before.

Key Take-Aways:

Anne is exploring new territories and is growing up, to be blunt. She is whisked out of fairy-land (romantically) when her first proposal is far below her expectations and matures and gets wiser through the course of several years.

Quotes:

“I wouldn't want to marry anybody who was wicked, but I think I'd like it if he COULD be wicked and WOULDN'T.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

“I do know my own mind,' protested Anne. 'The trouble is, my mind changes and then I have to get acquainted with it all over again.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

Anne of Avonlea

Anne of Avonlea (L.M Montgomery)

★★★★✩ (4/5)


Short Summary:


After Anne turns down a scholarship to college, she works in Avonlea as a teacher to help pay for college and take care of Marilla, who is steadily losing her vision. She meets Miss Lavender, a lively old spinster, creates a club called "The Improvement Society," and is the same Anne as in Anne of Green Gables. 

Key Take-Aways:

Anne is just as optimistic as in Anne of Green Gables as she is in this book. She works diligently to try to reach her goals and is a great help to Marilla, the authority figure in her life.

Quotes:

Marilla Cuthbert: You set your heart too much on frivolous things and then crash down into despair when you don't get them.
Anne Shirley: I know. I can't help flying up on the wings of anticipation. It's as glorious as soaring through a sunset... almost pays for the thud.
Marilla Cuthbert: Well, maybe it does. But I'd rather walk calmly along and do without flying AND thud.

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables (L.M Montgomery)

★★★★★ (5/5)

Short Summary:

Anne of Green Gables is a jewel among classics. Anne's trials teach us all a lesson and her big words charm the most hardened heart. How an orphan girl who wasn't wanted by anybody turned out to be loved by all is still a wonder, but her story starts when two solitary elderly siblings, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, wanted an orphan boy to work on the farm. Thanks to a fortunate mistake, spunky, red-headed, imaginative Anne is sent instead. She charms Matthew and brings Marilla to a point where she permits Anne to stay. Her problems, escapades, and interactions make her a an unforgettable character.

Key Take-Aways:

I was inspired by Anne's optimism in this book. She has many obstacles and is often cheerful in difficulty. I will always remember her often repeated quote: "That's the good thing about me, I never make the same mistake twice!" and the dry responses Marilla would make, based on the sad fact that there really a lot of mistakes that once can make anyway, so that doesn't account for anything.

Quotes: 

"Mrs. Hammond told me that God made my hair red on purpose and I've never cared for Him since."
-Anne Shirley

[Anne has just fallen from a roof]
Diana Barry: Just say one word and tell me if you're killed!
Anne Shirley: No... but I think I've been rendered unconscious.