Anne of Avonlea (Version 2)

Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in 1874 on Prince Edward Island, in Canada, and died in 1942. She published her first novel, Anne of Green Gables, in 1908, and its success was immediate and lasting. She wrote many more books, including several about Anne, as well as other novels, poems and short stories, and her work continues to be read all over the world.

Anne of Avonlea appeared in 1909, one year after the first book. It follows Anne from the age of sixteen to eighteen, during the two years when she teaches at the village school and cares for the twins whom Marilla has taken in. The mood is gentler and more settled than in the first book, though the humour is as lively as ever. The story is also a portrait of a close community, in which everyone knows their neighbours and the seasons set the rhythm of life.

This is the second LibriVox version of the book. It is read by one volunteer, Karen Savage, who has also recorded other books in the series, and it consists of thirty chapters with a total running time of about seven hours. For readers who loved Anne of Green Gables, it is a natural continuation; for newcomers, it is a charming story that can be enjoyed on its own.

Anne’s imagination, her mistakes and her warm heart are as appealing as ever, and the supporting cast of neighbours is as amusing as before. The book is gently comic, but there are quieter moments as well, and some of the most memorable scenes are those in which Anne finds beauty in a wood, a lane or a sunset.