It might surprise you that L.M. Montgomery did not write the eight novels of the Anne of Green Gables series in the order we generally read them today.
Introducing Anne Shirley
L.M. Montgomery introduced Anne Shirley to the world when she published Anne of Green Gables in 1908. Its sequel Anne of Avonlea followed shortly thereafter in 1909. After completing these first two novels about Anne Shirley, Montgomery focused on publishing other novels and short story collections before revisiting Anne.
Anne Shirley Grows Up
Between 1915 and 1921, L.M. Montgomery wrote another four books about Anne Shirley and Anne's children. Anne of the Island (1915) tells the story of Anne's college years, Anne’s House of Dreams (1917) begins with Anne's wedding and describes the early years of Anne's marriage to Gilbert Blythe, Rainbow Valley (1919) tells the stories of Anne Blythe's young children, and Rilla of Ingleside (1921) focuses on Anne Blythe's youngest daughter Rilla Blythe.
Revisiting Anne Shirley
Following a long gap of 15 years, L.M. Montgomery revisited a younger version of Anne Shirley and wrote about her years as a high school principal in Anne of Windy Poplars (1936). Today, this novel is considered Book 4 of the Anne of Green Gables series if we read the novels in the chronological order of Anne’s life. The storyline of Anne of Windy Poplars falls between Anne of the Island (1915) and Anne’s House of Dreams (1917).
Returning to Anne
Thirty-one years after publishing Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery wrote Anne of Ingleside in 1939. According to the timeline of Anne’s life, Anne of Ingleside is considered Book 6. Its storyline falls between Anne’s House of Dreams (1917) and Rainbow Valley (1919), both of which were written 20 years earlier.
What order were the Anne of Green Gables books published in?
In summary, here is the publication sequence of the Anne of Green Gables novels. The order we generally read the books in today is listed to the right.
| Publication Sequence | Chronology of Anne's Life |
|---|---|
| 1) Anne of Green Gables (1908) | Book 1 |
| 2) Anne of Avonlea (1909) | Book 2 |
| 3) Anne of the Island (1915) | Book 3 |
| 4) Anne's House of Dreams (1917) | Book 5 |
| 5) Rainbow Valley (1919) | Book 7 |
| 6) Rilla of Ingleside (1921) | Book 8 |
| 7) Anne of Windy Poplars (1936) | Book 4 |
| 8) Anne of Ingleside (1939) | Book 6 |
Have you ever read the books in order by their publication dates, or have you always read the novels in the chronological order of Anne Shirley’s life? What are your thoughts on reading the novels of the Anne of Green Gables series in different orders?
Created September 1, 1999. Re-posted online March 15, 2021. Last updated April 28, 2022.
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