“But if you call me Anne, please call me Anne with an ‘e’.”
Oh Anne! What a treat you were. This novella is so refreshing and innocent, it actually takes you back in time, and if it is in anyway possible, makes you ten years younger when you’re done! I was so bewitched by this ‘ravishing’ Anne that I dreaded the idea of finishing the book at all.
I never met such a girl. I could never ‘imagine’ such a girl either. What a torpedo of delights! This is one of the best coming-of-age stories out there. I would admit though, that if such a ‘scrumptious’ tiny girl really existed, she would be more intimidating than sweet, for Anne of Green Gables talked and she talked a lot and the only thing she did more than talking was imagining. Every character in the book is so relatable and unique that I cannot imagine a better way to put this story through. This girl is so prudent, yet laced to the roots in an unbelievably commendable fashion. There are so many strong messages throughout the book, yet you never feel them being rubbed on your face. There is something about this story which is simply pristine in its charm and charisma.
Despite her craziness and foolhardiness, you will find the ‘bosom’ friend you have always wanted, the daughter you have always dreamed of, the neighbour you had always imagined and the rival you had always feared in Anne. Poor Gilbert! For she kept him in check for years at a stretch before yielding to her feelings. Her unihibitedness and spontaneity touches something very radical inside, that part of ourselves we once were or wanted to be, now locked up deep within the crevices of our heart; the thump of those forgotten dreams barely audible. Weren’t we all this starry-eyed explorer on the expedition to conquer the world once? Grow up we did, but most of us let that part of us die doing so, so much so that if you condense the timeline, you will find two completely different individuals at the beginning and the end of the line and not in a good way.
This story is so special as it resonates with yourself, both of yourselves, at the beginning and the end of your timelines. It is a nostalgic reminder, ‘a kindred spirit’, and therefore, it is for everybody.
P.S. I found my new book crush, Gilbert Blythe ❤
Dots and Demitasse 