Will I love Anne of Green Gables?

When curating a list of whimsical book recommendations, one must surely start with the epitome of whimsy herself, Miss Anne Shirley!

With her big words, vast scope for imagination, and appreciation for nature's marvels, Anne with an E is one of my favorite fictional bosom friends. A true kindred spirit, I could visit daily without tiring of her poetical musings.

I love how Anne matures as a character while still maintaining her sense of wonder, and I love how her wonder—her whimsical ability to see a simple lake as an enchanting Lake of Shining Waters—inspires me to romance my own… show more.

Anne Shirley is a perfectly imperfect heroine, and that’s why I love her. She’s creative and imaginative and gets so lost in her daydreams that she can forget the flour in a cake or to cover leftover pudding, leaving easy access for a peckish mouse. Her temper matches her red hair, and she refuses to let anyone insult her dignity. She dreams of meeting kindred spirits—those individuals you just click with.

Although I first discovered Anne as a teen, I’ve returned to her throughout my life, and at each stage, she’s there like an old friend. The best part of… show more.

This book was so wonderful. It makes regular everyday life and every day surroundings magical and cozy and homey. It makes you want to go there.

There is such depth in each character. It’s completely appropriate for all ages.   

Anne Shirley is the most optimistic character in literature, and I have an unwavering love for her. Despite her circumstances, her boundless imagination and deep gratitude for the beauty in the world and people inspire both those around her and me.

When I read Anne of Green Gables, the world seemed brighter and more hopeful. I was overjoyed when my children were old enough for me to share this book with them. Her character's transformative power is undeniable, and her poetic view of life stays with me long after the last page.

I love that it was written by… show more.

Kind, emotional and uplifting. If there is an emotional comfort book, this is it.

What I love most about this series (eight books in total) is that it is filled with utterly beautiful descriptions of the natural world. The stories take place on Prince Edward Island off of Nova Scotia and tell the tale of an orphaned girl named Anne Shirley, a lover of mother nature if there ever was one.

I saved this series to read until I was in my fifties, and I am very glad that I waited until I was mature enough to appreciate this extraordinary writer. Montgomery’s exuberant love of all of nature: ocean, fields, trees–she names the trees… show more.

I wasn't an orphan, I wasn’t raised on a farm, and no one teased me for my ordinary brown hair, but my identification with “carrot topped” Anne Shirley was immersive and all consuming. I could smell the flowers and taste the russet apples she delights in, and I could feel the unrelenting joie de vivre that, despite life’s many slings and arrows, courses through her childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.

This book may date from 1905, but this beloved story of an orphan girl who comes to live with an aging brother and sister on their farm on Prince Edward… show more.

I first fell in love with Anne Shirley, watching the CBC TV miniseries with my nana. This quirky girl was so much herself without apology—all she wanted was a family of her own, which she found through a misunderstanding and just being herself.

I love the entire series (though there is some dated language to watch out for in later books), but I return to the first book over and over to study at Montgomery’s feet about how to create such authentic, flawed, beautiful characters. Watching these characters (Anne, Marilla, Matthew, and her best friend Diana) become a family is… show more.

Of course, as young adult fiction, it’s far from being a memoir, but once I came upon this series (not until I was in my twenties), I held tight to it, reading it and watching it over and over. I wished I had something of Anne’s spirit when I was growing up and still, in my twenties, wished to learn and embody.

I, too, had felt like a little girl lost in romance, poetry, and hope, but when the world came at me hard, I didn’t have Anne’s way of handling it. My coming-of-age memoir would have been different.

Who doesn’t love this book? It was the first book I read that truly expressed the intensity and delight of young female friendship. Anne and Diana’s absolute devotion to each other was so beautifully portrayed. Then, there is the pain when their friendship is forbidden, and Anne longs for reunification. L.M. Montgomery skillfully explored other girl dynamics with the addition of characters Jane Andrews, Ruby Gillis, and the character we love to hate—Josie Pye. 

One of my fave scenes is when Anne and her friends act out the poem, The Lady of Shalott, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Anne uses a… show more.