A charming and varied read, particularly for those who love the “Anne” books.
Plot
Avonlea is a place of beauty and pain, of merriment and sorrow. Even in the commonest quarrel or the most prosaic romance, enchantment runs deep. These twelve short stories, set in a location made familiar by the heroine of Anne of Green Gables, run the gamut from dramatic to comical--but an eye for the “unsung beauty in life’s common things” binds each tale together.
Morality
Quite simply, evil is shunned and good is admired. Even when the villains are more annoying than wicked (in the more humorous stories) they are never shown in a sympathetic light. In one story, a woman who lives with a domineering older sister is encouraged to elope.
Spiritual Content
God is treated with reverence throughout, and the only minister shown is an exceptionally admirable character. The “Angel of Love” is mentioned, most likely in a metaphorical sense. Though Christianity is generally taken for granted, the two stories that deal with theological issues do so in a straightforward and suitable way.
Violence
None to speak of. A boy falls from the roof of a henhouse, but he isn’t injured.
Drug and Alcohol Content
One character’s “drunken sprees” are referenced.
Sexual Content
There are several romances, all clean and appropriate. Also there is reference to a woman’s sinful past — a child out of wedlock and a life of prostitution, though those exact words aren’t used.
Crude or Profane Language or Content
One instance of “God” used as an oath. A character says “damned”, but the word is partially blotted out.
Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed every one of these stories. They are written with the poetic quality I had come to expect from the “Anne” series, but refreshingly free from the religious irreverence of some of those books. Even the stories in which Anne does not appear are sweet and inspiring.
This review is brought to you by Lady Meriwen.
