Why do I love this book so much? It has to be it's heroine, who begins as a shy, obedient daughter and blossoms into a complex woman who gains the courage to follow her heart. Against her mother's wishes, she breaks free from the post Victorian tyranny of what is proper, and nurses a dying girl. Believing her life will be short, she launches on a journey of following her own wishes for once. I guess what is so captivating is she is so believable, and evolves in a way that makes you want to read it again and again. Humor and incredible natural beauty described in the classic style of LM Montgomery. MUST READ AGAIN!

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A sweet and lovely story. A young woman finds the courage to break away from her oppressive family and seek her own adventures. Montgomery devotes many pages to beautiful descriptions of nature. She makes the reader feel she is actually hiking through a forest in winter. The love story is rushed at the end but does not detract from the book.

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Every so often a book will come along that really makes me believe that you shouldn't judge by the cover (or the categories it is placed in). I'm so glad I didn't and gave this one a try.

I've never read any Anne of Green Gables before, but I was somewhat familiar with L.M. Montgomery. I read that this was her first (and only?) adult novel, and I liked the premise. I was a fan of the main character, Valancy, from the first couple of pages. A 29 year old "old maid" who isn't particularly pretty and is completely diminished by her overbearing and obnoxious mother and family. When she secretly visits a doctor in town for some minor health issues, she receives a diagnosis that she has a fatal heart condition and will not live another year. She then decides to take back her own life, and she does so beautifully. I liked and felt for Valancy when she was being abused by her family, but I absolutely loved and rooted for her when she finally became her own person. She was such an inspiration.

This book was wonderfully written and full of interesting characters, all very colorful in their own ways. This was written in 1926, but felt very timeless to me. Quite a pleasant surprise, and definitely one that I'm going to read again and again.

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I love this book. I'm a huge fan of L.M Montgomery. This isn't like the Anne of Avonlea books but it is funny and sweet. The characters are unique and some of the scenes are downright hilarious. I will read this one many times in my life.

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This is not a edge-of-your-seat angst, driven story but a quiet, wonderfully, beautifully written book that makes one sigh as they are reading and clutch it to one's chest when they are finished.

*and it's clean!*

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