Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery

274 pages
Copyright 1939, reprinted 1992
Bantom Books
New York, NY

I cannot believe I waited this long to read Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery! As I have mentioned before, I read through the first five books in the Anne series while I was in high school, but never any further. At the time I wasn't interested in reading beyond Anne's House of Dreams because I didn't think I would enjoy the stories after Anne was "old and married with lots of children." How silly is that?

Maybe it's because I am older now and married with a child that I enjoyed this book so much, but I doubt it. Anne of Ingleside is such a great book I think that had I given it a chance years ago I would have loved it just as much then as I do now.

The Plot:
In Anne of Ingleside "Anne is the mother of five, with never a dull moment in her lively home. And now with a new baby on the way and insufferable Aunt Mary Maria visiting -- and wearing out her welcome -- Anne's life is full to bursting. Still Mrs. Doctor can't think of any place she'd rather be than her own beloved Ingleside. Until the day she begins to worry that her adored Gilbert doesn't love her anymore. How could that be? She may be a little older, but she's still the same irrepressible, irreplaceable redhead -- the wonderful Anne of Green Gables, all grown up... She's ready to make her cherished husband fall in love with her all over again!" (Summary courtesy of the publisher)

My Thoughts:
Anne of Ingleside is shared with stories of Anne and her adventures and stories of the Blythe children and their adventures.

As is always the case in Montgomery's books Anne of Ingleside includes comedic adventures, quirky characters, and endearing coming-of-age stories of children and their fantastic imaginations. The Blythe children have such unique personalities and adventures which means there is never a dull moment at Ingleside or within the book. I particularly loved how Montgomery portrayed the relationships between each member of the Blythe family -- between Anne and Gilbert and their children and between the children themselves. It made for a fun and pleasing read and I look forward to getting to know the Blythe children better in the next book, Rainbow Valley.

Anne is perfection as a herioine. Now her in mid 30s, Anne has grown up, but she hasn't totally changed, she's still Anne. While she has blossomed as a wife, mother, and friend she still day dreams, is enchanted by life and nature. She still loses her temper and has her moments of silliness, but they are fewer and she handles them in a mature way. Gilbert is perfection as Anne's beloved friend, husband and lover. Even though his part in the books has always been a little to the background, I've always found his character romantic and endearing. Gilbert isn't moody or vengeful; he is steady, strong, faithful, and loving. He is the constant Anne needs and adores her as every woman wants to be adored. I loved their relationship in this book. That even after 15 years of marriage two beloved friends could still be friends and lovers. Anne of Ingleside is a romantic read.

The Summary:
On a scale of 1-5, 1 being horrible and 5 being excellent I would rate Anne of Ingleside a 5. It is one of my all-time favorites within the series and I am thrilled to finally have it as part of my personal library along with the other books in the series. If you haven't read this book in the series yet don't put it off any longer!

Stay tuned for my review of Rainbow Valley later this month.