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- J.E Stanway
Kindred Spirit June: 113 Years of Anne Shirley
Anne of Green Gables has spanned multiple generations and, in that time, has continued to change the lives of dreamers all over the world. It's almost difficult to imagine that L.M Montgomery published Anne 113 years ago - over eleven decades have passed since that red-headed-heroine entered the world, and yet Anne is still as relevant and awe-inspiring in its text and spirit since the day the story was first conjured up in Maud's mind. In truth, I sometimes forget that Anne Shirley isn't a real person. She feels like one, and, much like a child is to a parent, she is Maud's greatest accomplishment.
I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time when I was about fourteen or fifteen, and, as I mentioned in a previous article, the book changed my life in numerous ways. When I finally made my way through all eight books in the series, I discovered a new understanding of life, love, relationships, and the importance of keeping a positive outlook on life. In truth, I've always believed that, but it was refreshing to know someone else agreed with me to the point of writing eight books to get that point across.
My favorite installment of the Anne books is the sequel, Anne of Avonlea. Even though many fans prefer Of the Island or House of Dreams as their favorite of the later books, Anne of Avonlea remains my favorite of the eight (Rilla of Ingleside being my second favorite). To me, that book is Anne at her peak - she's in her teens, so her ideals are at their most romantic, but she's a school graduate, so she has all of her romance mixed within all of her adult problems. I'll touch on that book more in another article, but suffice it to say it never falls short of entertaining me or choking me up in the verse-like prose and sweet simplicity of the premise.
Last year, I began a new tradition on my Instagram account called Kindred Spirit June. Another account I love used to host it, but, as they no longer do, I felt I should take up the mantle and continue the tradition. This year we at the Postmodern Journal decided it would be fun for this little celebration to cross over into our magazine. As the month of June plays out, you'll see various articles from us on Anne-related topics as well as an Instagram challenge that you can access here.
We expect this month to be filled with fun and reveling in one of our collective favorite authors. Make sure to tag us in your Kindred Spirit June posts (@thepostmodernjournal), with the hashtags #KindredSpiritJune2021 and #PMJPrompts and share it with others! Also, subscribe to our newsletter, which we send out three times a month. It will be full of Anne-related intrigue that you'll be certain to enjoy!
What's your favorite book from the Anne of Green Gables series and why? Let us know in the comments below!