I was thrilled when Melanie recommended Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery for this project. And then disappointed when I realised E and I had agreed we'd only review things we hadn't read before. And then smug when I remembered that this is (at least half) my blog and I can do whatever the hell I like. And I like Anne. I like her a lot.
I devoured the Anne Shirley stories as a young girl, gobbling them down one-after-the-other. But it was Anne of Green Gables, the first of the series, that I read and re-read and re-re-read between the ages of about eight and fourteen. While I remember enjoying others in the series (Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island particularly) it was Anne's early experiences small town Avonlea that have burnt themselves into my memory: Anne carrying all her "worldly belongings" into the farm for the first time; Anne declaring Diana Barry to be her "kindred spirit" and "bosom friend" immediately on meeting; Anne's constant dedication to finding the best "scope for the imagination" in any situation.
Anne was intelligent. She was opinionated. She was dramatic. The fact that she always had to explain how her name was spelled
"When you hear a name pronounced can't you always see it in your mind, just as if it was printed out? I can; and A-N-N looks dreadful, but A-N-N-E looks so much more distinguished. If you'll only call me Anne spelled with an e I shall try to reconcile myself to not being called Cordelia."just sealed the deal for a J-A-C-L-Y-N who wanted to be all those things, too.
XOXO
