Anne-with-an-e Shirley, a hallmark figure in children’s literature, provides a formative childhood reading experience for many readers. An imaginative and loquacious orphan who finds home and community with the Cuthbert siblings at Green Gables of Avonlea, Anne is a feisty, feminine, and dramatically charming protagonist. In today’s episode, we talk about how this sweet and endearing novel worked for us compared to other “warm hug” classics that missed the mark, the aspects of Anne’s character that make her loveable and realistic, our favorite scenes from the book, and whether Montgomery’s work can be considered feminist. Plus—our pairings today include a whimsical fairy story loosely based on the premise of Anne, as well as a novel that features another unforgettable protagonist from a Canadian author.

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Pairings Timestamp: 44:16

Books Mentioned

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett
Blue Cedar Falls series by Jeannie Chin: try The House on Mulberry Street
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
J. Ryan Stradal: try Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club
The Lucy Barton series by Elizabeth Strout: try My Name is Lucy Barton

Also Mentioned:

Why Anne Makes Us Dizzy by Julia McQuillan and Julie Pheiffer (Critical Study)

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

118. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Novel Pairings