"the natures which enjoy most keenly are those which also suffer most sharply..."
-L.M. Montgomery
Anne of the Island
"And she was richer in those dreams than in realities; for things seen pass away, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
-L.M. Montgomery
Anne of the Island
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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?
L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series includes eight novels. These books follow Anne Shirley's life in the following chronological sequence:
1) Anne of Green Gables
2) Anne of Avonlea
3) Anne of the Island
4) Anne of Windy Poplars (Anne of Windy Willows)
5) Anne’s House of Dreams
6) Anne of Ingleside
7) Rainbow Valley
8) Rilla of Ingleside
Anne of the Island, published in 1915, is the third novel in the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. In this book, Anne leaves her home in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island for Redmond College in Nova Scotia to study for her B.A. Anne's childhood classmates Gilbert Blythe and Charlie Sloane head off to attend Redmond as well. While at college, Anne interacts with these familiar faces, and she also makes new friends like the beautiful Philippa Gordon. During her time at college, Gilbert proposes marriage, but Anne turns him down. Anne is then courted by the dark and handsome Roy Gardner, and she must eventually decide if they truly belong together.
Anne & Gilbert: The Musical (2005) is a musical based on stories from the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. The first act of the musical is based on Anne of Avonlea, and the second act is based on Anne of the Island. The story was adapted for the stage by Jeff Hochhauser, Nancy White, and Bob Johnston.
I was fortunate to watch the musical in 2006 at the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside. It's a wonderful production, and the songs are charming. A CD featuring some of the songs and a book based on the Anne & Gilbert musical are available online.
Purchase the Anne & Gilbert cast recording CD to listen to the music and check out the script and lyrics book:
