Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery was published in 1908 by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, and follows the tale of the freckled, redheaded orphan child who comes to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.

The Cuthberts had asked the orphanage for a quiet, polite boy who could help them on their farm at Green Gables. When Matthew goes to collect the child, he is surprised to find Anne Shirley waiting for him - a chirpy, opinionated girl with a big imagination. Matthew is quickly won over by this charming and loveable, albeit mischievous, child, and although it takes a little longer, Marilla is eventually head over heels herself.

Anne herself cannot believe her luck to have wound up in such a beautiful and idyllic place as Green Gables on Prince Edward Island in Canada. She befriends a neighbour child, Diana, and begins at school where she flourishes. This charming tale is peppered with hilarious anecdotes of Anne's misdemeanours, which are always accidental and never occur out of malice, and always highly entertaining.

The sassy, chatterbox protagonist we are introduced to is a character who you cannot help adoring - particularly when she claims that her life thus far has been a 'perfect graveyard of unburied hopes'. How can you help but be charmed by this eloquent young lady?! Montgomery's language and description is wonderful throughout this book, and I utterly fell in love with Green Gables and its surrounding landscape. I will definitely be reading the other books in the series, which I have heard are also completely lovely!