Anne of Green Gables: A 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery recounting the adventures of Anne Shirley an 11-year-old orphan girl who ... originally intended to adopt a boy to help

Anne Shirley a young orphan from the fictional community of Bolingbroke Nova Scotia (based upon the real community of New London Prince Edward Island) is sent to live with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert siblings in their fifties and sixties after a childhood spent in strangers homes and orphanages. Marilla and Matthew had originally decided to adopt a boy from the orphanage to help Matthew run their farm at Green Gables which is set in the fictional town of Avonlea (based on Cavendish Prince Edward Island). Through a misunderstanding the orphanage sends Anne instead.Anne is fanciful imaginative eager to please and dramatic. However she is defensive about her appearance despising her red hair freckles and pale thin frame but liking her nose. She is talkative especially when it comes to describing her fantasies and dreams. At first stern Marilla says Anne must return to the orphanage but after much observation and consideration along with kind quiet Matthews encouragement Marilla decides to let her stay.Anne takes much joy in life and adapts quickly thriving in the close-knit farming village. Her imagination and talkativeness soon brighten up Green Gables.The book recounts Annes struggles and joys in settling in to Green Gables (the first real home shes ever known): the country school where she quickly excels in her studies; her friendship with Diana Barry the girl living next door (her best or bosom friend as Anne fondly calls her); her budding literary ambitions; and her rivalry with her classmate Gilbert Blythe who teases her about her red hair. For that he earns her instant hatred although he apologizes several times. Although as time passes Anne realizes she no longer hates Gilbert but her pride and stubbornness keep her from speaking to him.The book also follows Annes adventures in Avonlea. Episodes include play-time with her friends Diana calm placid Jane Andrews and beautiful boy-crazy Ruby Gillis. She has run-ins with the unpleasant Pye sisters Gertie and Josie and frequent domestic scrapes such as dyeing her hair green while intending to dye it black and accidentally getting Diana drunk by giving her what she thinks is raspberry cordial but which turns out to be currant wine.At sixteen Anne goes to Queens Academy to earn a teaching license along with Gilbert Ruby Josie Jane and several other students excluding Diana much to Annes dismay. She obtains her license in one year instead of the usual two and wins the Avery Scholarship awarded to the top student in English. This scholarship would allow her to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree at the fictional Redmond College (based on the real Dalhousie University) on the mainland in Nova Scotia.Near the end of the book however tragedy strikes when Matthew dies of a heart attack after learning that all of his and Marillas money has been lost in a bank failure. Out of devotion to Marilla and Green Gables Anne gives up the scholarship to stay at home and help Marilla whose eyesight is failing. She plans to teach at the Carmody school the nearest school available and return to Green Gables on weekends. In an act of friendship Gilbert Blythe gives up his teaching position at the Avonlea School to work at the White Sands School instead knowing that Anne wants to stay close to Marilla after Matthews death. After this kind act Anne and Gilberts friendship is cemented and Anne looks forward to what life will bring next.