My last book of the year was Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson, a modern prequel to L.M. Montgomery’s classic Anne of Green Gables. Many readers, myself included, have wondered about Anne’s life prior to arriving at the Cuthbert’s farm. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables, Wilson wrote this book to provide an answer to those questions. Wisely, she doesn’t try to duplicate Montgomery’s writing style, and it’s clear that this is a modern interpretation, but it retains much of the magic and allure, thanks in large part to the character of Anne, who is just as charming and entertaining in 2008 as she was in 1908.

I managed to finish reading this book just in time to successfully complete the What’s In a Name Reading Challenge (Before Green Gables was my color selection) and it also counts towards the 2nd Canadian Book Challenge.