Anne of the Island

Anne of the Island (1915) is the third novel in L.M. Montgomery’s beloved Anne of Green Gables series. The story follows Anne Shirley as she leaves the familiar shores of Prince Edward Island for the first time to attend Redmond College in the city of Kingsport (based on Halifax, Nova Scotia). Alongside her old friend Gilbert Blythe and new companions Philippa Gordon and Priscilla Grant, Anne navigates the joys and challenges of university life—from settling into the charming boarding house known as Patty’s Place to pursuing her literary ambitions with her first short story, “Averil’s Atonement.”

As Anne matures from a dreamy eighteen-year-old into a confident young woman earning her Bachelor of Arts degree, the novel explores her evolving understanding of love and friendship. She receives proposals from Charlie Sloane and the handsome but ultimately hollow Roy Gardner, while remaining blind to the steadfast devotion of Gilbert Blythe—until a crisis forces her to confront what her heart has known all along. Woven throughout are the comic escapades of Davy Keith, the quiet wisdom of Marilla Cuthbert, and Montgomery’s luminous descriptions of the Prince Edward Island landscape in all its seasonal beauty.

Dedicated “to all the girls all over the world who have wanted more about Anne,” the novel culminates in one of the most satisfying romantic resolutions in children’s literature. It is a story about growing up without growing away from the places and people that shaped you—and about learning that the truest love is often the one that has been quietly waiting beside you all along.