I found a kindred spirit in a red-haired girl who made sure everyone she met didn’t leave the “e” off of her name. I loved the Anne of Green Gables books as a child. The main character, Anne Shirley, had a dialogue that was new to my previous “novel” catalog of Babysitters Club books. Anne with an E spoke more like a woman than a child and while she was always getting into mishaps, her intentions were good.
The books were great, however, not the easiest vocabulary to understand as a preteen. When the movies arrived on VHS, the characters were truly brought to life for me. Anne was prettier and funnier than I had imagined and her love interest Gilbert was much more handsome and gentlemanly than Anne described in the books.
I remember one particular winter blizzard (much like the snowy Canadian winters Anne endured) torturing my family and little brother by making them watch the movies (six hours of Anne) on marathon. My family had no escape. There were several feet of snow outside and I was going to make them all (even my 8-year-old brother who had zero interest) fall in love with Anne of Green Gables.
I eventually grew out of my obsession as most children do and moved on to liking my own handsome “Gilberts” (who weren’t as gentlemanly) and strolling the mall for hours, rather than reading. But the Anne of Green Gables books always remained on my bookshelf. When I would return a new chick-lit to the shelf I would smile at the Green Gables books and promise myself I would read them again someday. Sometimes the books would reappear on my nightstand with intentions of cracking open that Prince Edward Island world but soon Anne would be buried again under other novels, textbooks or People magazines.
I would eventually find Anne’s kindred spirit again; it would just take 20 plus years.
The Haunted Woods of Green Gables.
Prince Edward Island, Canada landed on my list for a work travel trip and I immediately knew Anne and I would be together again. The books were set on the small Canadian island near Nova Scotia and after a quick Google search I knew PEI celebrated their red-haired orphan girl and would not disappoint.
Traveling to Prince Edward Island, Canada expanded my story to understand that no matter how old you are, it’s good to revisit your childhood.
Despite being a fictional character, Anne of Green Gables fills the land that is Prince Edward Island and seeing the rolling green hills and red clay cliffs, I immediately understood the beauty that author L.M. Montgomery described in her novels.
Reading the books I had my own vision of what Prince Edward Island and Green Gables looked like. Watching the movies brought the character’s personalities to life. But actually being on Prince Edward Island made PEI a real place and the characters real people (I am well aware they aren’t actual real people. I’m not that obsessed haha.) L.M. Montgomery described Prince Edward Island perfectly and seeing it with my own eyes brought me back to my childhood imagination of the same scenes.
My mom and I among the red clay cliffs of Prince Edward Island, Canada.
What I didn’t realize as a kid was how universal Anne of Green Gables had become (or always was) to millions of children around the globe. L.M. Montgomery published her first Anne of Green Gables novel in 1908. Ninety hundred and freaking EIGHT! It’s now been translated into more than 20 languages and more than 50 MILLION copies have been sold. Again since 1908! How cool to have something written in another century still be popular (maybe even more popular) today. I definitely was not the only one torturing her family with an Anne of Green Gables childhood obsession.
Having the opportunity to travel to Prince Edward Island (also known as Anne Land) with my mother was a full circle, story moment for sure. I would not have considered traveling to what seemed like such a far away land as a child. But as an adult it made complete sense. Of course, I was going to Prince Edward Island. Of course, I was going to visit Green Gables and pretend my new friend Anne Shirley was going to be there to greet me (she was, mind you) and of course I would fall in love with the real Prince Edward Island. If Anne loved the island, there was no doubt I would too. Prince Edward Island was part of my childhood, so of course it would be part of my travel story.
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