Anne of Green Gables Book Summary

Lucy Maud Montgomery's children's novel Anne of Green Gables was first published in 1908. The work, a melancholy yet endearing coming-of-age tale about a feisty and eccentric orphan girl who finds a home with aging siblings, became a children's classic and spawned multiple sequels. Matthew Cuthbert lives in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, with his sister Marilla. They apply to adopt a boy from an orphanage because they need help on their farm, Green Gables.

Anne Shirley, a red-haired, freckle-faced 11-year-old girl, is sent to the siblings by mistake. While Matthew is smitten with Anne right away, Marilla is undecided about retaining her. Anne, on the other hand, gradually alters the miserable lives of the bashful Matthew and prim Marilla, and they grow to regard her as a daughter.

Anne has two nemeses: Mrs. Rachel Lynde, who she eventually wins over, and Gilbert Blythe, a classmate who insults Anne by calling her "carrots"—she is self-conscious about her appearance, particularly her red hair—and starts a long-running feud. Anne is impulsive and mischievous, and she has many disasters, such as coloring her hair green by accident. However, she matures during the novel, and after Matthew's death, Anne foregoes college in order to care for Marilla, who is losing her sight. Anne, however, enthusiastically welcomes her new circumstance.