Title: Anne of Green Gables
Author: L. M. Montgomery
Genre: Adventure, Read-Aloud, Chapter Book
Age Group: 10 and up, to be re-read at regular intervals!
One of my favorite things to do when I'm not feeling well or when it's blizzarding out (or both) is to re-read childhood favorites. But they have to be stellar. Very few books meet my criteria. The ones that do are the ones I write about here, and Anne of Green Gables is definitely on the list.
As I was re-reading this treasure of a book, many thoughts were going through my mind. I'll try to hit on a few of them — forgive me if they seem not to make up one coherent post!
Anne is an orphan girl who is delivered to Green Gables by mistake. Her adventures with sweet Matthew, dour Marilla, and all the characters she encounters in her new home keep the reader laughing, crying, and enjoying. Anne is a character all her own. She never stops talking!
Why is this book great, standing the test of time and beloved by adults and children alike?
First, a book about an orphan will always be pleasing to a child. With our adult way of looking at things, we get confused about archetypal meanings for children. Bruno Bettelheim* explains why the really satisfying children's story must be about an orphan (even if it's the case of one missing parent, not two — did you know that the word “orphan” encompasses this state as well?). You see, a child is hard-wired to love his parents, regardless of their frustrating behavior (the implications of this fact should give you hope, especially when you find his behavior frustrating). So in order to help him come to terms with whatever injustices or shortcomings he finds in those who ought to love him, the good story offers the spinster lady who has the child thrust upon her (and who can blame her for objecting?) or the stepmother who is downright cruel (and thus not an emotional threat if the child finds her unbearable). These categories have no relation to those in the real world. They simply represent the parent in a mode that can be dealt with, without jeopardizing the child's hold on what he must cling to, his real father and mother.
Second, although its writing teeters along the high cliffs of insanity at times, its whimsicality rescues it from the trap of moralizing — yet moral it is. L. M. Montgomery has a unique mode of expression that enables her to take the reader right through real “tests of character” of her character. Sometimes Anne does right; sometimes she does wrong. Whatever the situation, Montgomery is careful to parse all the objective principles and extenuating circumstances: there's a balance here that is refreshing. When I admonish you to be “warm and strict” with your children, it's the world of Anne of Green Gables that inspires me.
Third, this book answers most definitively the completely unfounded accusation from feminists that before their revolution, girls had no role models, but suffered from a surfeit of wimpy, fainting, compliant female leads. If you don't think that Anne, with her spunk, huge vocabulary, ambition, studiousness, large soul, and desire for excellence is a good role model, then you are deluding yourself. There are many such girls in the pantheon of children's literature, but Anne is the archetype. If anything, one is hard put to find as many good role models for boys!
Fourth, when you read it you acquire that “secret language” that connects you with other lovers of Anne. “The red-headed snippet,” “kindred spirit,” “bosom friend,” and all the Anne-isms that show that you too are of “the race that knows Joseph.”
But there is more to this book in the context of our time. In the past, people in general understood how to raise children. Oh, they didn't talk much about it, and of course many made even fatal, unforgivable mistakes, because that's human nature; but for the most part, people understood that children develop along certain lines that oughtn't to be opposed. Whatever shortcomings individuals had, the educational systems at large corrected by means of a body of literature and a standard of conduct for themselves. The collective memory, with all its lapses, was intact, and precisely served the raising of children to be healthy — psychologically healthy according to their sexual development in particular.
In today's world, we consciously detach ourselves from the wisdom of the past. We've remade education. We have discarded indirect modes of education, preferring to stuff our little geese by force. A girl can't be left to be a girl; a boy will be medicated right out of being a boy.
This came to mind as I was reading a rather sad post by a woman who seems confused about whether, in the end, there are really two sexes, meant for each other. As she struggled to express the ambiguity she sees in human nature, she revealed much about her childhood that indicates that perhaps she simply had the wrong kind of education.
By education here I don't mean just what happens in school. No, I mean by education the whole project of bringing up the child. There are so many ways to fail: the task is dangerous — but known. Or used to be. The good sort of education in the broader sense takes great care to form the imagination, to fit it for the purpose it will serve: the ability of the person to see the unseen; ultimately to have faith and be able to follow a fulfilling vocation.
That so many young adults today have such a tenuous hold on their identity suggests to me that this experiment — the removal of the maps to navigate these waters of growing up — has failed.
It's not that new things are being discovered about what it means to be a person, as so many would have us believe. Is that even possible?
It's that old things were systematically purged and this is the result. (I wrote a bit about this in a post inspired by a quote from C. S. Lewis in The Abolition of Man: “We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”)
Specifically, L. M. Montgomery carefully, with great delicacy and delight, navigates Anne through a friendship so intense (yet nearly universal among girls) that it could easily lead to disaster. As it is, it comes across as lighthearted and perfectly normal — so much so that you almost miss her cleverness. When Anne tells Marilla, “Young men are all very well in their place, but it doesn't do to drag them into everything, does it? Diana and I are thinking seriously of promising each other that we will never marry but be nice old maids and live together forever,” we know that very soon both girls will move on to healthy and fulfilling unions with young men. We know because there is nothing to cast doubt on their innocence or the appropriateness of the friendship at their age — although I can easily imagine a 7th-grade class snickering their way through the dialogue today.
Is that loss of innocence progress, I ask you?
As I read the young lady's post about sexual identity, I couldn't help but wonder, as Edmund says about Eustace Scrubb, whether she has read the wrong sorts of books (if she reads at all). If, as is likely, her childhood was spent on the dreariness that passes for children's literature, giving way to YA fiction that wallows in moral swamps, is it so unreasonable that she is unable to imagine a purpose for her body? And without imagination, how will she heal, short of a miracle? Ought we to indulge her confusion? Or rather determine to recover what is lost, so as to prevent a new generation from going the same way?
It's Tolkien who tells us that fairy stories (of which adventures like the Anne books are a subset, somewhat earthbound, to be sure) offer us a great gift (one that points to the greatest gift of all): The joy of a happy ending.
I fear that children today are being robbed of that joy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*I know that Bettelheim is a controversial figure these days. Nevertheless, his book The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales represents an important contribution to the study of children's literature, offering psychological and developmental insight that represents a worthy compliment to Tolkien's spiritual one (which can be read here) and Chesterton's moral one (the chapter called “The Ethics of Elfland” in his great work, Orthodoxy.) I recommend Bettelheim's book for any parent who wants to understand a child's inner life, speaking in human terms, with C. S. Lewis' caveat that of course, these things must never be explained to the child!
What is the Like Mother, Like Daughter Library Project?
priest's wife @byzcathwife says
I love Anne- I encourage everyone to branch and read other Montgomery- I like “The Blue Castle” a lot
Kate says
When my kids were younger and did a lot of pretending, I’d often hear, “O.K.. let’s pretend we’re orphans…” or “Let’s pretend our parents are dead…” and they’d set off on some imaginary adventure. At first, I thought we must be rotten parents and they had a secret wish that we were out of the way; then I thought that maybe it was the thrill of risk, of being on one’s own, using one’s own wits without parental guidance and care. There’s much more drama possible without the safety of parents!
Stephanie in Germany says
As a child, we often played that we were orphans (Box car children style) outside trying to survive!!! I see my own children doing the same thing.
Margo, Thrift at Home says
love the explanation of why children love orphan stories!
I love the Emily books and “The Blue Castle” more than the Anne books, but I re-read Anne, too 🙂 Can’t wait til my girl is old enough to read them. . .
pam says
Such a good series of books! Yes to others by the same author, I am currently reading The Story Girl. Lovely. I think Rolls of Ingelside is a lovely read, esp as it incorporates the Great War. Often wished there was another , more manly treatment for my sons.
Katie says
Pam, there are the Tom Playfair books, by Fr. Francis J. Finn that would probably be great for your sons to read.
Leila says
Pam, search the Library Project for good boys’ books. Here is one post: http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2014/07/rascal-a-coming-of-age-book-in-the-library-project/
You can browse the posts here: https://www.pinterest.com/_leila/library-project-great-books-for-all-ages/
Carol Kennedy says
I am looking forward to my two red-headed freckle faced girls reading Anne (with and E) but since it has not occurred to either of them to NOT like their red hair and freckles, I haven’t really encouraged it. Right now I am enjoying re-reading (Or reading for the first time) some of those great classic books–these days it is Louisa May Alcott.
Lisa G. says
I was sick home from work last week with a very bad cold. It just so happened that a copy of “Mistress Pat” came along right before. This charming story kept me company all through my misery and helped me through it. I think now I’ve read all her full-length books. You didn’t mention the sense of wonder, Leila, that this woman’s writings were so overflowing with! I soaked it up gratefully – there was something healing in it. I’m 59 years old, and don’t care what my co-workers may think if they see me reading this stuff. 🙂
Laura says
I have loved the Anne books for years! I’ve just recently been reading or listening to the whole series, (though I don’t have Ann of Ingleside), and I start thinking to myself, ‘I wonder if there are any new books for children or girls that are just as satisfying as these.’ But what I see on the library shelves doesn’t even come close. There are some good older books, A Girl of the Limberlost, Little Women and etc. but these are all either stand-alones, or short series of 2 or 3 books. I like the Anne books because they continue and let her change and grow and learn and apply the learning. She’s not stuck in a perpetual “vacation from school” like all the other books (Hardy boys, Bobbsey Twins etc). What sort of story could be written today that would appeal and be about a modern girl that could equal the Anne stories? Somehow, literature like this must be brought back into the American consciousness…
Caitlin says
I’m so glad that you mentioned A Girl of the Limberlost- it really is my all time favorite book from my childhood. The entire Anne series is just so fantastic, and as a woman it is very satisfying to read the later books in the series! I do love rereading books from my childhood, and both the Anne series and A Girl of the Limberlost are two that certainly make the cut!
Catherine says
If you like A Girl of the Limberlost you need to read her other books. Her Father’s Daughter, Freckles, Laddie, The Harvester, The Keeper of the Bees, to name a few. Good reads!
Leila says
Laura, don’t forget the Betsy-Tacy books. They similarly go from young girlhood to maturity. There’s only one moment in one of the later books where Betsy and her friends are using a Ouija board! Yikes!
Catherine says
There is a mystery series that progresses, unlike Nancy Drew, called Beverly Gray. It starts out with Beverely Gray Freshman and ends some years later with her marriage. I read the whole set as a girl and it solidified my love of reading. For younger children, check out The Happy Hollisters. Other sets are the Pollyanna series, The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew series, the Beany Malone series. I have been blessed to be able to acquire all of them for my own because they can be difficult to find. I wish I could share them with everyone.
Janie De Lara says
I love the Anne series and everything else by Montgomery, except “The Blythes Are Quoted”. That one scarred me for life, I think. I always hope I can have a little girl and raise her to be as wholesome as Anne. My friends always tease me that I should have been born back then because the world just moves too fast for me. I think Anne demonstrates the ideal for girls and women that IS actually obtainable…it is possible to be innocent and wise; to be educated and successful,and yet cherish the role of traditional wife and mother; to be supportive of your children, but strict. Montgomery herself battled many demons and was certainly not very Anne-ish as an adult, but I think she projected her wish for what could have been into Anne (and Emily, and Sara), had the world not robbed her of her innocence. The world began moving too fast for her, too. I guess that is where that “be in the world but not of it” really comes into play.
Stephanie says
We just finished the Princess and the Goblin and the Princess and Curdie. My nine year old has been having vivid…I guess night terror type things where she is not asleep but she is scaring herself as she tries to get to sleep…she is “imagining” the faces of goblins in the dark. We had a big talk over breakfast how amazing it is that our imaginations can create beautiful things but can also be so good at creating scarey things. It is interesting after reading Esolen’s book on imagination that I feel it is all so good for her. I do hope she can figure out a way to beat these goblins, I love that she can come sleep by me or grab a blanket and cuddle if she needs to, and we still agree that those novels were so much fun to read. This was a great post! So many things to think about and I’m excited to explore the Bettleheim reference. God bless!
Leila says
Stephanie, quick, read Anne with your daughter. There is a great chapter where Anne and Diana scare themselves silly by over-imagining that the woods between their houses are haunted. It’s a bit of vindication for Diana’s no-nonsense mother 🙂
Anne must learn to control her imagination. This is a valuable lesson — your thoughts ought to be subject to your will. Yes, they will flit in and out, but you can decide whether to nurture them and let them overpower you or whether you will dismiss them, substituting something more salutary in their place. This discovery of the will is an important moment in a child’s life — and some, alas, never get there, which leads to serious disorders later on.
Stephanie says
Yes! Thank you for the reminder! Anne and Dianna to the rescue xxoo
Melissa Diskin says
I would love to hear more of your thoughts on this subject!
Kristin says
I will never forget reading the passage where Anne gets her dress with “puffed sleeves” from dear Matthew. It was so wonderful, and so right that she finally got that little indulgence. I remember going to bed that night SO happy about those puffed sleeves. The Anne books and A Little Princess are the books I turned back to again and again in my childhood. So happy my mom saved the tattered copies.
Leila says
Yes, Kristin — it’s so sweet! It reminds me of an episode in the Laura books when something similar occurs… Ma relents in the matter of calling cards 🙂 It shows us that we have to be a bit merciful to our children. It’s good to hold them to standards and not give in to every whim, but it’s also just part of human nature to enjoy a treat once in a while!
Katherine says
Something you said here really resonated with me: ” In the past, people in general understood how to raise children. Oh, they didn’t talk much about it, and of course many made even fatal, unforgivable mistakes, because that’s human nature; but for the most part, people understood that children develop along certain lines that oughtn’t to be opposed. Whatever shortcomings individuals had, the educational systems at large corrected by means of a body of literature and a standard of conduct for themselves. The collective memory, with all its lapses, was intact, and precisely served the raising of children to be healthy — psychologically healthy according to their sexual development in particular.”
Yes. This.
I have a 11-month-old. I also came from a terribly dysfunctional family, and have no real mother figure role models. My mother was a raging, abusive alcoholic, and I have no older female relatives. 11 months into this, I still struggle with how to be a mother. Some things–all of them negative–are obvious: don’t yell at the baby, don’t get into power struggles with the baby, don’t take out your anger at other situations on the baby…but I find myself waking up most morning saying “what am I supposed to do with you?” Is it neglect if I let her play on her own for a little while I sew? Is it wrong to keep her in her high chair long enough after breakfast to get the dishes put away without having her grab steak knives? How much positive interaction is normal–whatever normal is? What is the “normal” way to interact with her? I’m naturally very, very introverted; will my quietness make her feel unloved?
It’s like being told you have the most important job in the world without being given a manual, a set of rules, or any training; it’s like being thrown in the deep end of a pool and being told “swim, and do it well, or you’ll damage this sweet, innocent person for the rest of her life”–and you’ve never even seen someone swim before, much less done it yourself, but that responsibility is still on you. I want terribly to make a better childhood for her than I had, but I honestly don’t know how most days. Thank you for your little snapshots into your world; they’re one of the things that help me figure out that picture of the mother I want to be.
Leila says
Dear Katherine,
And here is another reason that I think it’s so important to read these old books. We ourselves will learn a lot about “normal” child-raising from them! I also enjoy visiting Old Sturbridge Village, a historical museum — there is a beautiful town house (called the Towne House because the family it belonged to was the Townes 🙂 that has a lovely kitchen, so orderly. In the kitchen there is a 19th century highchair that almost resembles something you’d get in IKEA — like a little play chair. Clearly the toddler was put in there while the women finished their work!
That helps me, you know?
Kathia says
Katherine, I know exactly what you mean! Coming out of a less than ideal childhood home, I too often fall into the trap of worrying about how my imperfections have screwed up my kids. I am in the teen phase right now, with two preteen and one baby. With each phase comes new concerns, new ways to “mess up”! But, through a lot of prayer, scripture, inspirational reading and just observing other families, I have noticed that there are no perfect parents; no one comes through childhood completely unscathed. The key is going to be your own relationship with Jesus. Keep open to His Word and keep yourself soft and pliable under His teaching. When you mess up, and we all do no matter how well we were raised, just lift it up to Him with a repentant heart, and try again to do what you have learned is best. Take heart, He will use all the mistakes (and even willful sins) we put into His hands and will transform them into something good and fruitful. We can’t do this, only He can. But we can stay close to Him! Words from one of my favorite prayers in a Catholic mother’s manual: “Holy Mother Mary, supply in your all-wise motherhood for my poor human deficiencies and protect them from all evil.” Our kids will see this genuine faith in a fallen person… and even when they walk away from Him for a time, our own faith will help bring them Home. Plus, kids can tell when you are even just trying to be good. 🙂 It inspires them to be good too!
polly says
Oh Katherine, although my mother was a lovely soul, I also came from a family background of some dysfunction, and I also felt rather stumped as a new mother as to what, exactly, I was supposed to be *doing* with the baby, or whatever. I think it is in part b/c when the first baby is a baby there’s not a lot of other juggling going on like there is later when you’ve got older children and babies. Anyhow, now is the perfect time to read lots of interesting books (Anne! if you haven’t yet, for instance) and learn any skills that interest you (or that you like, like any housekeeping stuff that needs brushing-up on….) When my oldest was a baby I taught myself to knit, for instance. And I just read voraciously. The reading will help you form your ideals and ideas, skills will help a lot as the family expands, and creative skills/arts will help you feel good!
Leila says
Katherine, you know, I want to reassure you too that although you might have extra reason to feel anxious, it’s normal for a new mother to worry a bit. So much is riding on how we do! Or at least, we have a sense of the burden of the responsibility.
Just know that even someone who has had a happy childhood still knows that she must live up to her calling with this little one. And having an interested, mobile, but not at all independent little one is a hard phase.
I am going to remind you of a couple of things that I try to repeat here at LMLD:
1. Make good friends. Try to make friends who are further along the way than you — who you can look up to. If a mom has 8 kids and the youngest is the age of your baby, she may turn out to be a better friend for you than another mom your age in your same situation. At least give her a try!
2. Polly is right — now is the time to read and figure things out. In the Library Project I have tried to get you started with my posts labelled “foundational” — so that you can think about child development, good housekeeping, and fundamental principles. But do read the children’s books as well! It’s amazing how much wisdom is hidden in those. Just go to the menu bar and click on “Library Post” and you will pull them all up.
3. PRAY! Pray to your baby’s guardian angel. He knows him best. He will give you little hints. Remember that scripture says that the angels go to the altar of God in heaven! Have a lot of trust, because you were born for just this.
christine says
My grandma just moved into an independent living facility. She packed some boxes of things for me. I went through them today, and I found an old, old copy of Anne of Green Gables. It was her favorite book. It was my mom’s favorite book (although the grandma I’m talking about it my dad’s mom!), because of the story, but also because it reminded her of her childhood back in Nova Scotia. It is my daughter’s favorite book. Four generations of women in my family are tied through that one little girl. And you wrote about it the day I received my grandma’s copy.
To me, it seems parents complicate the job of parenting. Being a parent is horribly difficult, but it’s not complicated. So many studies and theories muddy the water so to speak. So much “choice” is…not good.
Anne says
I read and re-read the Anne books growing up. I’ve read most of L. M. Montgomery’s writings. I have to say, Jane of Lantern Hill, the Pat books, and the Story Girl books were amongst my favourites. I have some of her books of short stories as well, which are also good. Very different than the Anne books. A couple of years ago, an author took the time to write a “prequel” to Anne of Green Gables, which told the story of how she ended up being an orphan, before coming to Matthew and Marilla’s. It is VERY good, and the author definitely studied Montgomery’s writing style and knew the Anne character well. I found it well-done.
I always liked the Anne books, because, well, I’m named after her. 🙂 My Mum and Dad had finished reading the Anne books (Mum for probably the umpteenth time) just before I was born, and they liked the name.
My daughter is 11 and she’s started reading the Anne books, after reading the Little House books, and really likes them.
And, being from the Maritimes, in which most of L. M. Montgomery’s books are set, PEI really is all that and a bag of chips! If you ever get the chance to visit, do so. It’s a lovely province…the dirt really IS red, there are tons of potato farms there, and it’s just a lovely little piece of God’s country. You can visit L.M. Montgomery’s birthplace, and there IS a Green Gables as well. And, don’t forget Cow’s ice cream! 😀 Shameless Canadian tourism plug done.
Leila says
Anne, I *need* to go to PEI!!
Woman of the House says
I owe so much to Anne! When I was a girl, I didn’t know the series extended beyond the first three books, but I read my copies to pieces. Then as a young mother I was thrilled to discover the other five and I can truly say that I am a better mother, wife, and person for having thoroughly ingested them as well. It is from Anne that I first learned to appreciate beauty and to look for it in the ordinary. I’m so thankful to have learned these lessons when I was young.
Elizabeth says
I recently read the book” Hold on to your kids: why parents need to matter more than peers”
http://www.amazon.com/Hold-Your-Kids-Parents-Matter/dp/0375760288/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424795203&sr=1-1&keywords=hold+on+to+your+kids+why+parents+need+to+matter+more+than+peers
As I was reading it, so much of what you always talk about here was discussed. I kept wondering if you have maybe read that book and also, what you think of it. Now that I am reading this post, I am reminded of the book once again.
This is a little quote from the blur on Amazon:
Children today looking to their peers for direction—their values, identity, and codes of behavior. This “peer orientation” undermines family cohesion, interferes with healthy development, and fosters a hostile and sexualized youth culture. Children end up becoming overly conformist, desensitized, and alienated, and being “cool” matters more to them than anything else.
If you are familiar with the book, I’d be very curious to hear your opinion about it!
Thank you so much for the library project. Your posts have helped me to understand the need of building up a good book collection for my kids while they are still small. I always buy old classics in thrift stores now and I make sure these books are wholesome and good for their souls. I never saw much harm in books about kids falling in love, experimenting with kissing, etc. But now I make sure not to buy these, because you helped me see the bigger picture of educating our children and caring for their souls.
If only you knew the positive impact your blog has on all us young mothers and wives!
Leila says
Thanks, Elizabeth!
I have not read that book although I have read *about* it. I think it’s exactly right, as far as I can tell. It’s important for children to make friends and share experiences with them, increasingly so as they get older. But the family should be the touchstone. Children, including teens and even older, should look to family members for affirmation, even as they explore their interests and expand their universe.
That is why I talk here about that crucial “second decade” where you build your family spirit! Don’t get burned out by the littles. Renew your commitment by staying friends, husband and wife, and by being convinced that it does matter! (See my “destruction-proofing” posts for more.
briana says
If you liked Bettleheim, you’d much more like G. Ronald Murphy S.J. The Owl, the Raven, and the Dove
http://smile.amazon.com/Owl-Raven-Dove-Religious-Meaning/dp/0195151690/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424799512&sr=8-1&keywords=the+owl%2C+the+raven+and+the+dove
And Mitchell Kalpakgian’s (Neumann Press)The Mysteries of Life in Children’s Literature.
http://smile.amazon.com/Mysteries-Childrens-Literature-Mitchell-Kalpakgian/dp/0911845992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424799639&sr=8-1&keywords=the+mysteries+of+life+in+children%27s+literature
Meghan says
I love Anne!
I often give my kids a hard time because when they are playing they are often orphans or, when writing a story, the mom (or both parents) dies. A common conversation around here is, “Mom, I have a great idea for a new story!” in which I reply, “Let me guess, the mom dies!” It’s become a bit of a joke (all in good fun, of course).
Amanda says
I love Anne! Who couldn’t love Anne? Sarah from the Amongst Lovely Things blog recently asked “If you had to choose one: Little Women or Anne of Green Gables” and it was nearly physically painful to think of only ever reading one!
My daughter has just discovered Anne and she fell instantly in love. She’s an orphan herself, abandoned by both birth parents at 10 and adopted just this November by us, and she really connected with Anne in all her good-intentions and superficial love of fashion and silly mishaps. I think I relate a lot more to Marilla now than I did as a child, haha! It was so fun to rediscover the book through my daughters’ eyes.
I just love how Anne very slowly, so slowly you almost don’t realize it, changes and matures into a lovely young woman. Her exuberance becomes an energy she devotes to friendships and academics. Her fanciful nature stops getting her into quite so much trouble and instead makes her a fun young woman. Her mishaps as a child make her more empathetic and kind as an adult. And her relationship with Matthew and Marilla grows into something admirable. Even her hair seems to become more mature, from a shocking wayward red to a more mature auburn, as silly as it is. Anne is certainly right up there with some of the best role models for girls. She is herself, through and through, and yet she recognizes she has things to learn and room to grow and does so accordingly, when it’s time of course.
Mary Eileen says
What a great post. I’ll be forever grateful to my mother for feeding me Anne of Green Gables, the Beany Malone series, Laura Ingalls Wilder, FIve Little Peppers, Boxcar Children, Little Women and so many more. This stuff is really nutritious food. It’s such a delight to eat when you’re young you don’t even realize how it makes you healthy and strong – and able to recognize a pile of junk food when you see it.
Kinda maybe off topic, and it’s a book for younger children, but I’m thinking presently of the book “Twig” by Elizabeth Orton Jones. I read it again very recently for some reason. Do you know it? No classic of epic proportions but such a very sweet little introduction to chapter books — and into a simple, charming fairy world. To me just the sort of thing young girls and boys should be practicing early reading on.
Leila says
Thanks, Mary Eileen! I think I read Twig a while ago, but it didn’t make a lasting impression. I should find it again. I love those little sweet books. How about Milly Molly Mandy? Just a nice way to spend an afternoon — nothing earth-shaking, but so wholesome.
Emily says
I sat down to begin reading “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett to my daughter the other day. My husband asked what it was about, and then said, “Oh, another story about an orphan?!” We laughed about it, and then pondered why all of us find the orphan story so compelling.
Mrs. B. says
I guess it’s why so many of us are homeschooling – to keep our kids from all the nonsense, and give them the right intellectual and moral categories of thought. The problem is, how do we even talk to people like the woman who wrote the article you mention? Is a conversation possible when there is no shared set of assumptions that allow our thoughts to form the same way, whether we agree or not? Also, these “modern” people have already decided everything: that doubt is in, and truth is out; that they are sophisticated, and we are simpletons; that deviant behaviors are perfectly “normal”, and we, who cling to our universal categories, are obviously nothing but bigots. Where do we go from here?
Anyway, I’m glad to discover it’s very normal to feel the urge to re-read the Anne books every once in a while!
Leila says
Mrs. B, I have had some of the same thoughts recently — how to converse with those whose categories are quite different.
Although of course we must always be loving and kind, I do think there is a place for fearless assertion of truth. Sometimes when someone is pulling us into their confusion, the kindest thing to do is to remain firm in the truth. I know that I myself have been helped immensely by others’ willingness to be brave and stick to their guns.
You might not have known it by my reaction — maybe there was no affirmation in it at all, or even hostility — but the truth has its effect.
Calmly maintaining what is true is an act of charity.
Irene says
Anne is wonderful! I think the series is available free online.
Mrs. B., I wish I had the answers to “modern people” and where we go from here. Despite being in government schools most of her life, one of my daughters is discerning consecrated life. When my “Catholic” neighbor heard this, she said “What kind of career is that?! I hate how the Catholic Church brainwashes these young girls…”
polly says
I am so glad to see Anne on your library project! She was an essential part of my own childhood. I must HIGHLY recommend the “Emily” books by LM Montgomery as well. I personally identified closely with Emily (Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs and Emily’s Quest are the titles in the trilogy) and loved her even more than Anne.
What you say about the female friendship is so true. I had several Anne-Diana friendships throughout childhood and into college. It was completely normal!! But what is normal has been confused.
And your point about it being harder to find good ‘role models’ for boys than for girls is absolutely true. I am always on the prowl for good hero-books for my 7 year old boy!
Diana says
I love your thoughts here! I found myself giving a big YES and another big AMEN to your conclusions and observations. Thank you so much for sharing.
I love the Anne books, especially the first five and the last (Rilla of Ingleside). I also loved the Story Girl books and the Emily trilogy. They were pretty much my childhood (along with Narnia!).
Diana
Marianna says
I, too, am a huge fan of Montgomery’s stories! I’m wondering if you have read any of Kate DiCamillo’s work. Many of her stories have a timeless appeal to me, and seem to reach kids in much the same way books like Anne of Green Gables does.
Cate says
I actually named my last daughter after Anne’s daughter Marilla, central character in Rilla of Ingleside. The whole Anne series has been our read-aloud for over a year, we are just now on Rainbow Valley. As a young adult I reread them constantly, they seemed to offer a hopeful optimism and beauty missing in my secular upbringing. My Marilla, now 8, is always thrilled to meet a kindred spirit who knows where she got her name!
mrsnightskyre says
I didn’t like Anne as a child. I think because I had been raised already on a diet of books where *things happened*. As an adult, I recently re-read Anne of Green Gables, and this time I loved it. But I’d guess my nine-year-old daughter would feel much the same as I did. Not enough “happens”, there are no plot twists or anything fantastical to keep the imagination.