Leeanne ’s Comments (group member since Jun 27, 2020)

Leeanne ’s comments from the Gentle SPECTRUMS group.

Hello again! Sorry it's been awhile.

I added my photos of the PEI lighthouse that the Four Winds light was inspired by, as well as some photos of the coastline, to the group photo album. The lighthouse is not far from the real Lake of Shining Waters and the home of some of Maud’s relatives. That house is now the Anne of Green Gables Museum which I also got a chance to visit!

I am happy to read ‘Anne of Ingleside’ solo if that’s what everyone else wants to do. Reading the synopsis for that book already has me rolling my eyes so I have a feeling that I won’t be too pleased by it. Regardless, I want to hold off for a while because, like I said at the end of my review of this book, I would be almost perfectly satisfied if this was the last book in the series. I think, if ‘Ingleside’ is too unpleasant I too will just drop the book. I’m getting tired of the crazy dramas Maud concocts and I don’t want to spoil my love of Anne’s world with continuous unpleasantness in the stories. Anne and her world too personal to me.

Although I do get emotionally attached to characters like Carolyn, I am relatively comfortable reading about death and dark things like Kerri is. There are certainly topics and genres I will not go near, but as long as I’m aware of my state of mind when reading or watching something dark, I can handle a lot. I think fiction is a great way to explore horrible things without the actual loss of life. I’ve always found that reading about hard things makes it a little easier for me when I experience something similar. Even if it doesn’t, books have always been my best comfort, so I turn to them to help me process things. It also helps me understand real people who have experienced what I’ve read about. Fiction is born from reality so even the wildest experiences, good or bad, are never far from real life, and it allows me a chance to practice my empathy.

Perhaps I'm feeling that because I know the outcome of her real life, but it's like you can feel her depression growing over the years and it seeps into her writing. I feel the same way, Kerri. Some of the stuff she originally wrote for “Anne of Windy Poplars” sounds quite gruesome. It doesn’t say how detailed she went with them all but no wonder they cut so much. Here’s the article that talks about it: https://benjaminlefebvre.com/the-dark...

I was disgusted by Susan’s threats to basically kill a cat. Hitting him with the poker could have killed him! I was surprised that Anne and Gilbert wouldn’t have defended Matey, being their beloved Captain Jim’s closest companion. Captain Jim would have lost it if Susan did anything to Matey, so why wouldn’t Anne or Gilbert care about that threat?

I agree that Cornelia talked and was talked about like “an elder of the town.” The way she interacted with Captain Jim made it seem like they had known each other for decades and that she was closer to his age. Comparing her to Rachel Lynde also indicated that.

Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but the descriptions of Captain Jim becoming stiff, paler, and less stable indicated to me that there was some sort of illness. I got the sense that he was starting to fail for some legitimate health reason, not just because he was old. You’re right, Carolyn, that he’d spent his entire life in too good of condition to just give out for no reason, and so quickly. That’s not how it works. Not calling on Gilbert does seem strange. Did all the other characters just decide that he was simply dying of old age? Or was Maud really making him die of old age? That would be silly of her.

I don’t think having hired help was common. And, it was my understanding that even though they have the money to move, Gilbert is still a “country doctor”. No one in the area is described as rich so he probably would not be making much money. Often country doctors would be paid with food and other goods rather than money.

Carolyn, you have shared the story of your first apartment cancelling pets, which is still crazy to me. Was the house you moved to after that the one you are in now or was there another move? I can’t remember if you’ve told me that. You did tell me about your trips too but I didn’t realize Timmy’s wedding and A-ha came so close together! That must have been an exciting but busy year!

What a large family you come from, Carolyn! Everything you share about the 1900s way of life would be applicable to my family history in southwestern Ontario as well. Yes, when you had money to spare you spent it on the things you needed, not people. Neighbours certainly helped each other out but we never had more than a farm boy for hired help, like Matthew and Marilla had intended. Farming families do have a tendency to be large which certainly reduced the need for any hired help; however, now that I think about it, most of my recent farming ancestors did not actually have large families. My paternal grandfather was one of 10, but I think that was unusual in my family.

I do agree that I don’t see signs of Maud hating Anne. Getting tired of Anne seems a more likely answer. There was such a strong demand for more Anne stories that I imagine it would have been difficult to convince publishers to publish different stories, especially her more darker ones. She was already climbing an uphill battle as a female writer; I’m sure the publishing world gave her difficulty about some thing or another. She did write somewhere that she did not write “Anne of Green Gables” as a children’s story and didn’t understand the popular conception that it was. Maybe she decided to give in to that idea and write the remaining books (after this one) for kids?

I have finished!

I think it’s very sad that Gilbert believes that Dora will marry young for fear that she might not find someone else to marry her if she waits long. Unfortunately, we shouldn’t be surprised that Dora is given almost no page time. Poor girl is always forgotten.

I love that Gilbert is still so completely in love with Anne and amazed that he’s managed to earn her. It’s wonderful that he values her opinion, even when it differs from him. He didn’t shut down Anne’s feelings about operating on Dick Moore despite strongly disagreeing with her.

I would put Cornelia in her mid 40s at least. Oh, I had a feeling that she would be married eventually. She doesn't seem to particularly love Marshall though, so I’m a little confused as to why she wants to marry him. Is it just for the convenience of no longer needing to hire a man to help around her place?

Are we supposed to conclude that Anne is still unwell from the birth of Jem? I don’t understand why she would need Susan unless she’s unwell. You couldn’t find a mother more capable of taking care of her baby. Anne reminds us that she raised three pairs of Hammond twins before she was eleven years old. Susan cooks, cleans, and often takes care of the baby, so what does Anne do anymore? Sew or knit and visit with the neighbours all day, every day? It’s not like she and Gilbert are rich, so why do they keep Susan? Why are they bringing her with them to the new house? Maud must really like her for some reason.

The part about the baby talk made me smile. This was just discussed in my psychology course a few months ago. It’s now well proven that “baby talk” (officially motherese or parentese) is important for language development. I’m glad Anne fully embraces this natural instinct that will serve her children well.

I was terrified that Maud would take Captain Jim before he could read his book. When Owen refused to let him see it until it was published I felt sure that Maud would never let him. My distrust of her kicked into high gear. I’m relieved that she let him read the whole thing and let him go the way he wished to. I have to say Maud can write death beautifully.

I wish we knew the ending of the life-book that Leslie suggested. It bothers me that Maud never shared it with us after Leslie was so very excited to hear what Captain Jim thought of it.

For Anne to be “of Ingleside” in the next book I knew they would have to leave the house. I figured it would be in this book rather than at the start of the next one. I’m sad to leave it. I have sat and wept over a home before, so I felt Anne’s pain deeply. I wish Jem would be able to remember his beautiful first home.

That last chapter was the most ‘Anne’ chapter we’ve had in this book. Do you know what I mean by this? The way she mourns for her house and says goodbye to it is so Anne. Her imagination runs wild to the worst of what may happen to her beloved little house. The chapter encapsulated everything I love about her: her imagination, her love of romance, her slightly dramatic flare, and her strong ties to nature and to history. The house is more than just a house to her; she is saying goodbye to more than the walls. She is one of its ghosts now, and only Anne would be able to feel that. Anne’s response to Susan saying that the house is “out-of-the-world down here,” captures what made the house so special.

“‘Out of your world perhaps, Susan—but not out of mine,’” said Anne with a faint smile.”

Thank you for explaining about Joseph, Carolyn! I’m embarrassed to admit that I momentarily forgot about Joseph being Jesus’ father. The only Joseph I could think of was Joseph with the coat of many colours from the Old Testament, and it didn’t make any sense to reference him!

After school I always had a babysitter who would either take me back to their place or walk me home until I was old enough to walk alone. I was also given a phone when my parents separated.

“I wonder why she stays tied to this man who never loved her, who never bothered to stick by her. What does she owe him? Why make herself miserable, potentially forever more?”
Exactly, Kerri! I think she feels he’s her responsibility now because she married him and he has no other family, it seems. I am frustrated with her for not trying to find another way out. It’s not impossible. Like I mentioned, she has the support of Cornelia and Captain Jim, and now of Anne and Gilbert. She’s not alone. As well, it doesn’t sound like she’s been ostracized from the village. She could have tried to seek help there too.

I think I understand what you mean about being an empath, Carolyn. I don’t think I’d call myself one although I do have a habit of getting very emotionally attached to characters and deeply feeling what they go through. Now that I think about it, I’ve never really had that with this series. I think in the first book, especially when I was younger, and when I watch the movies I felt emotionally attached to Anne. I’m not sure why that has lessened. Maybe because I’m older or because she’s grown up too? Or maybe it’s the more detached way that Maud writes about her? I talk to the TV too, occasionally yelling in exasperation when someone’s doing something stupid. That’s one reason why I hate the horror genre! Don’t go into the basement! Don’t go outside alone! DON’T OPEN THAT DOOR!!! It’s exhausting. When I was little I was very afraid of movies where a character would get caught breaking rules. It stressed me out so much. I also get second-hand embarrassment very easily and most often with movies, so I have to be careful about what I watch. There are many fictional characters in books, film, and television that I call “most precious” to me. When I think about how I feel about them, I think I get close to understanding your experience.

I'm so happy that my conclusion of Maud's intentions immediately make sense to you, Carolyn. I just felt it in my bones as soon as I reached that part and I started fuming. I agree that losing the baby didn’t belong in this series. If Maud wanted to explore her grief, she should have done it elsewhere. She was certainly capable of creating somewhere else to do it. Matthew’s death felt natural, and the loss of older family members would not be completely unexpected or particularly out of place in a story like this. Taking a baby though? And letting Anne meet it? It felt unnecessarily cruel and like a slap in the face. I did mention that I found the writing of the birth and death of Joyce beautifully done. She handled that difficult topic quite well, except for moving on so quickly. Not that I wanted to sit in misery with Anne, but Maud made moving on sound much easier than it could have been for anyone involved.

My mom once told me that Maud grew to hate Anne Shirley because Anne got to have a happier life and stay on the island forever. I’ve never found any evidence to back that up, and I have no idea what led her to that conclusion, but I’m sure it’s part of why I have an instinctive distrust of Maud. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember but sometimes when I’m reading these books I forget about that feeling. I got caught up in the beauty and hope of the first chapters and let my guard down, forgetting to distrust the idea that Maud would make this book one of long awaited joy, celebration, and the fulfillment of dreams. Of course I expected some marital scuffles (which we’ve only had one of?), some little failures and challenges, some unpleasant characters (we know Maud loves them), and some (hopefully greatly decreased) animal abuse because she can’t seem to write without the latter.

I appreciate that you always remember to consider the individuals, Carolyn. You remember the readers, and in this case in particular, the ‘Anne Shirleys’ of the world. You put yourself in their shoes for a moment. I’ve always felt that it is the duty of the writer to never lose sight of the audience. Stories are told to share lessons or messages with an audience; even when a story’s being told purely for entertainment there is always a lesson that can be taken from it. Being an “animal lover”, I don’t think Maud comprehended the message that the animal abuse and murder in her stories was sending. She didn’t imagine what that would look like to others who do not find that a casual thing. It is also the duty of the writer to take care of the audience, to a degree. They don’t need to hold our hands, explain everything, or avoid certain topics so that we won’t feel offended, but they should either prepare us a bit or make sure we have the resources to process and recover from fictional ordeals. This is why trigger warnings are a thing now! If you are going to plunge your characters and readers into the darkest corners of life, you have to do your best to make sure that they won’t stay there after the book is done. There are many different, creative ways to do that. I can try to give you some examples if you’re unclear what I mean.

I read an article online recently about the “darker side of L.M. Montgomery’s writing.” Apparently, her editors had to remove a lot of brutal death descriptions from “Anne of Windy Poplars” in particular, and tried to steer her away from the other dark corners of life she and her pen always ran to. It seems that she loved gothic stories and did her best to weave gothic plots into her writing. Her obsession with death and the ways to reach it make sense, in the later years especially, because she does end up committing suicide. It was clearly on her mind a lot because it was not a decision she made lightly.

This thought just occurred to me: you’d think that if Maud wasn’t going to reference the war she’d focus on happier things. 1917 was a dark time - why did she want to add more, and unrelated, darkness to the lives of her readers and herself? It's not like she was trying to process war here.

I've read up to Chapter 35 so I'll give you my thoughts up to that.

I like that Owen Ford is related to the original inhabitants of the house of dreams. How wonderful it would be to visit the homes of ancestors. As a character I really liked him. It did annoy me how obvious it was that he would be the one to write the life-book and fall in love with Leslie. I hate figuring out exactly how a story is going to go!

I would have loved Paul Irving to return to write the book, however, I do agree that it makes sense for Owen Ford to write it because, as Captain Jim points out, “You belong here–you’ve got the soul of this old north shore in you…”

Carolyn, I’m sure you’ll understand how wonderful it made me feel to read of someone wanting to write the “great Canadian novel” instead of the “next great American novel”. This is such a little thing but it stood out to me.

I agree, Carolyn, that after a few chapters of Susan I was ready for her to leave. It’s not that I don’t like her, she’s nice and all, but she feels out of place in the little house. Additionally, she’s another thing in the way of time with Anne and Gilbert. I understand that Gilbert would want Anne to have help around the home so that she could recover but Susan was not needed so long! Also, given his concern over Anne, I was really confused when he left her alone on the sandbar in the fog. That doesn’t seem safe!

I don’t see the purpose in killing off the dog. It doesn’t further the story in any way except to make Leslie feel a little more lonely. Maud just loves to kill off animals, doesn’t she?

I do agree with Gilbert that it was his duty to inform Leslie of a possible treatment for Dick’s condition. Yes, that is a lot of pressure to put on her, but it’s not about her, is it? I knew Captain Jim would agree with Gilbert. He did bring the man back from Cuba even though he knew he was subjecting Leslie to a life of caring for the man. Dick (or George, rather) deserved the chance to have his life back, or as Leslie puts it, “to grow and develop.” Imagine if poor George had been locked away in his head forever? Poor innocent man! I didn’t expect him to not be Dick. I did know that the operation would work; it would have been pointless for Maud to have made it fail. I figured he would either come back and decide he didn’t want Leslie, and just leave her, or he would come back and there would be some big fight over setting Leslie free. I’m happy to have neither of those endings.

It was really weird that Maud didn’t give any indication that Anne was pregnant again. Well, there was one moment where I thought maybe she was alluding to it. I did expect another baby so it wasn’t a surprise. Obviously she wanted to shock the readers but I don’t believe it was necessary. Describing the stork bringing the baby was cute and would have fit in even if we knew the baby was coming. I’m glad Anne makes it clear that James Matthew will not take Joyce’s place, and I’m glad she is able to imagine her little girl growing up along with her brother and siblings to come. Joyce will never be a stranger.

Gilbert’s announcement to Marilla that the baby had arrived made me laugh. I’ll quote it so you know what I mean: “Anne has sent me to tell you that a certain young gentleman has arrived here. He hasn’t brought much luggage with him, but he evidently means to stay.”

I'm glad you got your birthday card, Carolyn!

Happy new year to us all!

Ok everyone, I'm back. I'm going to split up my thoughts into a couple of different posts because I have a lot to cover, and then I'll respond to both of your thoughts. I'll start with Chapters 17 - 22.

It really bugged me when Captain Jim told Anne that the barrier between her and Leslie is because Anne has had a happy life without any real tragedy. Anne’s life before Green Gables was not happy at all. Being orphaned, abused, and never wanted for most of your life is quite a tragedy. Yes, Leslie’s entire life is very tragic and it breaks my heart, but Anne’s backstory is quite tragic too, even if her experiences are very different from Leslie’s. Anne was lucky to have had the strength to find beauty and hope in the world, but her life was still full of darkness for a very long time. Her pain and loss are absolutely valid! I understand that Maud didn’t want to dwell on the dark parts of Anne’s life in the early books because they were for young readers, but you can acknowledge her history without extensively detailing it. Writing it off entirely doesn’t help anyone. Did she never consider the ‘Annes’ of the world who had similar childhoods? How could she invalidate their experiences like that!? Ugh, it makes me mad!

It took me a few rereads of Chapter 19 and 20 to figure out my feelings about the events. I did not expect it because the synopsis on my edition does not mention anything about a tragedy. As soon as “Gilbert smiled sadly”, I knew something was wrong. I was completely shocked, horrified, and very angry. I agree with you, Carolyn, that it felt like a direct attack on Anne’s happiness. Maud couldn’t have made it crueler if she tried.

I took some time to process it and read it a few times. I do appreciate the beautiful writing of the birth, the burial, and Anne’s anger afterward. In addition, I do appreciate that Maud was writing about a taboo subject. I hope it was with the intention of helping other women who had experienced a loss like Anne’s process their grief. If Maud wrote this to help other women through their grief and create some awareness about the issue, I might feel a little better about it. I’m sure she had to fight hard for it to be in the story. Maybe that’s part of why she doesn’t go into details about what happened or about the pregnancy. It would have been frowned upon to be too explicit.

Even if those were her intentions, I don’t feel that it completely justifies what she did. The real reason why appears very obvious to me. Maud decided that the only way to break the barrier between Leslie and Anne was to take Anne’s baby away. She had to ruin the perfect happiness. That’s not fair to Anne, or Gilbert, or the readers. It cuts Leslie a slack she doesn’t deserve. Leslie is an adult who has a lot of support around her to build a brighter, happy future. Leslie, and Leslie alone, has decided that her future is hopeless and that she will never be happy. Instead of holding Leslie accountable for her life decisions, Maud makes other characters suffer. That’s so wrong! I also don’t like how Anne tries to reassure Leslie by telling her that she isn’t jealous, envious, or hateful. She absolutely was. I’m fine with Anne not blaming her for those feelings, but don’t deny that they were there.

The other thing that upsets me about these two chapters was that Anne moves on so quickly. There’s certainly not much processing. One conversation with Marilla is all we get about the tragedy. Couldn’t we have had a conversation or at least a description of Anne and Gilbert comforting each other? The poor man barely gets any page time, not even to grieve and support his wife. Susan, who came out of nowhere, does that instead.

Just starting Chapter 18
Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. I was more busy with family Christmas events than I’d expected to be. I had a little time to read at night but not enough to post my thoughts. My mom’s extended family Christmas event was a Christmas miracle - there was no fighting! It was a perfect Christmas meal with them. I spent Christmas Day with my grandparents and my uncle and that was nice too. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Yes, Kerri, Eaton’s was a store and a catalogue. It was a department store chain that began in Toronto in 1869. You’ll find mentions of Eaton’s catalogue in many Canadian stories pre-1999 when it was purchased by Sears.

The story of the party line at Grandma & Grandpa’s came up at our family Christmas this year too! I’m glad it made you laugh, Kerri!

I loved the stories of the previous inhabitants of the house of dreams, especially the story of John Selwyn and his bride. What an interesting gift (or curse) and I liked Gilbert’s theories on how it could be possible.

Miss Cornelia makes me laugh. I love that she takes care of her neighbours and looks out for all the women in her community. Her devotion to Leslie in particular is admirable. I think that because she grumbles and complains about men and holds to many of their worst stereotypes, one could call her a misandrist, but she doesn’t hate them - that much is clear.

I wonder why Miss Cornelia divides people into the race that knows Joseph and the race that doesn’t know him. Why Joseph? Where does that name come from? The Bible maybe?

Alexander Elliot skipping church because they wouldn’t let him bury his dog in the graveyard and him wanting to be buried with his dog made me laugh.

I understand your outrage about the continued mistreatment of cats, Carolyn, and I am very unimpressed with Maud. I love Captain Jim for many reasons but his fierce protection of cats is one of his best qualities. He loves cats more than Maud clearly did or allowed Anne to. I can’t accept that she loved them if she treats them so horribly in her novels. She’s supporting that stereotype that dogs are more pure and loving than cats. Yes, animals vary just as people do. Dogs can have as much attitude as any cat and they aren’t always more affectionate. Saying that cats have a “spice of devilment” in them made me pause, but after considering that statement for a moment, I don’t see that as a terrible thing, and I don’t think Captain meant it in a derogatory way. "Spice of devilment" clearly refers to that stereotypical 'attitude' of cats but that endears me even more to them because it makes them more like humans. Their attitude proves they have emotions and agency. Cats simply have a different love language. I am not too bothered by Captain Jim not bonding with Matey on the same level as he did with his dog. His dog was his first and longest pet and they always hold an extra special place in our hearts, so I understand that deeper devotion to that late creature. He still loves, defends, and appreciates Matey. He’s almost the perfect animal lover that we’ve been waiting for. This is closer to what I expected of Maud.

Peggy’s Cove is the only Nova Scotian lighthouse that I know the name of, and I know many people visit it, so that’s why I asked about it. It’s wonderful that you got to see the ocean and that you felt so at home in Nova Scotia! I’ll try to figure out how to post my lighthouse photos to the group album soon. I did visit the one that inspired the Four Winds light! It’s been replaced with a different looking lighthouse but the shoreline would be similar to what Maud would have seen, so I’ll include some photos of the area too.

I feel more connected to PEI when reading this book than I did during the previous one. It brings back my memories of being there in July 2021. I can practically smell and hear the ocean. Some of Maud’s descriptions of the ocean remind me of how it looked on certain nights. My mom and I liked to walk or drive along the shoreline in the evenings to see the sky turn purple and be reflected on the ocean.

Up to Chapter 7
I didn’t get as far as I’d planned in the past few days because I had to finish Little Women. Jo and Anne and Maud and Louisa were throwing me out of both books. Lousia and Maud write differently and sound different in my head and I suddenly found it difficult to distinguish them. It was like out of tune music - physically painful. It’s all good now. I’m settled into this book and enjoying it immensely.

Ah I wondered too about Maud using miles but a quick google search revealed that Canada only fully switched to metric in 1975. We still use a mix of both but Maud would have only known the imperial system. Yes I do wonder about the fuss of travelling 60 miles. For Diana of course it makes sense because travelling with little ones would be as difficult as leaving them behind. I guess Marilla wouldn’t want to go alone but I wouldn’t think it’d be too difficult a trip for her.
The island isn’t that large so travel shouldn’t be that long anyway and they have the train across it.

December 27th is a long time to wait, Carolyn! I assume Bell doesn’t do repairs over Christmas either. How frustrating.

In addition to maternity leave, Canadians can also get parental leave (so for mother and/or father) which I believe goes to 18 months. Ontario is working towards $10 a day child care by March 2026. I don’t know how well that’s going because I honestly haven’t been paying attention to that and our news is currently filled up with American and Canadian government chaos. I do remember this affordable child care proposal being a huge deal when we had our previous two provincial elections. Ontario child care is some of the most expensive in Canada.

My grandparents had a party line in the country when they were growing up and when they were married. I’m not sure there were party lines in the city. People definitely listened in for the gossip though. My mom tells me that she and her cousins used to gather around the phone and listen in on the neighbours until Grandma caught them. It was all downhill from there but I guess the gossip was worth the wrath of Grandma Hocking. I wouldn’t have been caught dead playing that game!

Jane Andrews was one of Anne’s school friends. She was part of the Story Club with Anne, Diana, and I think Ruby, also. Anne thought she was nice but had such a sensible personality that she didn’t have much of an imagination. I also remember that she took over teaching at Avonlea school for a while and she and Anne had disagreements about physically punishing students. Jane was for and Anne was not.

Yes, Cordelia was the name Anne wished she’d been given. She asks Marilla to call her Cordelia when she arrives at Green Gables and I remember she bemoaned that missed opportunity of being named Cordelia to Diana a few times.

Ooo what lighthouses did you visit, Carolyn? Was it Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia? I’m always intrigued by lighthouses. There’s always an air of mystery around them. I visited as many as I could while I was in Prince Edward Island. Two of the most exciting were the East Point Lighthouse on the easternmost point of the island, and Cape Bear lighthouse, which was the first land station in Canada to receive the distress call of the Titanic. I got to climb up East Point but not Cape Bear. The funny thing about PEI lighthouses is that the islanders have to keep moving them back inland as the island erodes away.

I think Miss Lavender was at the wedding because Maud mentions “the Echo Lodge people” which would include her. Lavender just isn’t named specifically. Was matrons of honour an idea back then? It is today of course, although I think everyone is called a bridesmaid whether they are married or not.

Carolyn, Anne’s House of Dreams was published in 1917, not 1922. Does your edition say 1922? It appears that Maud did not set these books the year that they were published because it should be noted that WWI was in full force in 1917. The Canadians were certainly there by then. I wonder if Maud will ever bring the war in? I know that she hated war and hated to dwell on it, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she avoids it.

Diana commenting on the lovely day for the wedding and saying, “You couldn’t have had a finer one if you’d ordered it from Eaton’s,” made me laugh out loud. I always love mentions of Eaton’s. It’s such a huge part of Canadian history and I can’t think of a historical Canadian novel, naturally historical or otherwise, not mentioning Eaton’s.

Ugh part of me wanted dialogue for the wedding! It was such a short part! It certainly packed a pleasant punch though. Getting a brief insight into Gilbert’s head as Anne came down the stairs was perfect. His patience has paid off beautifully. I think they are perfect for each other. I guess a short and sweet ceremony was perfectly fitting for Anne and Gilbert, but I’ve been waiting ever since he called her “carrots” and she broke her slate over his head for this moment. I can’t help wanting a little more.

It warmed my heart when Gilbert observed that their closest neighbours don’t appear to be “kindred spirits”. That’s a term so many associate with Anne and I love to see him picking up her terms and phrases. It also makes me happy that Marilla gets the boy that might have been her son as her son-in-law. How sweet. The past really does right itself in time.

Yes, Maud absolutely wanted a dramatic homecoming like the famous ride to Green Gables. I’m surprised she didn’t have Anne reflect on that ride and remember Matthew again. Maybe she expected that we would do that ourselves without any prompting. This was such a quieter ride; we can tell Anne has grown. She does not talk endlessly or name every beautiful thing in sight, though I don’t suppose we can really name the sea. She simply breathes it all in. I love Maud’s descriptions of Four Winds. Chapter 5 is the writing that makes Maud special. Her nature descriptions always shine.

Up to Chapter 5
I’m so excited to do a buddy-read with you two again! It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? It is such a delight to return to the island with Anne. These books are like a warm hug. I’m enjoying reminiscing about the past with the original cast and a few favourites from the previous books before Anne sets off on her new journey. The marriage will be a bit bittersweet because she has to go so far away. The island isn't really that large but I guess back then 60 miles would be quite the journey to undertake. At least they have the telephone now to connect. It gave me a bit of a start when they started talking about the telephone. I’d forgotten that it would be coming soon. Although Maud attempted to thwart it where she could the approach of the modern world could not be completely stopped, and the telephone wasn't a terrible thing to admit to the existence of. It will be fun to see the consequences of the telephone. In a small village like Avonlea I can only imagine how much faster the gossip is going to move. Rachel Lynde will have to be more competitive to stay ahead of the other ladies!

I’m so happy to have some time with Diana! I missed her in the previous two books. Anne Cordelia is the perfect way to honour her best friend and I love that Cordelia remains a secret between them. I doubt we’ll see Diana again in this book unless Anne comes right home to visit. :(

Does anyone remember Mrs. Harmon Andrews? I remember Jane Andrews, her daughter, of course, but don’t remember hearing about the mother before. She’s quite judgemental of Anne’s trousseau and Gilbert, and at one point Anne says “There are so many things in life we cannot do because of the fear of what Mrs. Harmon Andrews would say…What delightful things we might do were it not for Mrs. Harmon Andrews!” When did she become so powerful!? How did I miss this?

I, like Anne, immediately fell in love with the house with the first of Gilbert’s descriptions of it. I hope it will live up to her dreams. The Four Winds area sounds lovely. I’m very excited to meet Captain Jim and hear the story of Anne and Gilbert’s new home. I’m sure there will be lots of stories around the lighthouse too. I’ll have to check with my mom this weekend if we visited the lighthouse that is widely believed to have been the inspiration for the Four Winds light. I know we visited one that inspired Maud but that might have been Jane of Lantern Hill’s lighthouse. If it was the Four Winds one I’ll see if I can post some photos of it for you.

The fact that her main concern was whether there were trees around the property thrilled me. That would be my first concern too! ”I couldn’t live where there were no trees—something vital in me would starve.” Whenever I visit a new place one of the first things I look for are the trees. I think this is part of the reason why I don’t love big cities. Even if there are trees, they are different from country trees. They often seem sadder there, unless they are in a little park together. Trees need other trees, you know.

It’s nice to have some short little updates on Paul Irving, Philippa, and Miss Stacey, among others. I’m so happy that Charlotta the fourth has found a husband who is good to her, even if there isn’t a lot of love between them.

I stopped just before the wedding chapter. I might have read on but ending my evening with Anne’s pilgrimage to Matthew and her last evening walk with Gilbert before marriage was perfect. I love the reasoning behind Anne’s pearl ring. That was a beautifully written passage.

I think women usually stopped working once they were married. I guess it was thought that taking care of a house and visiting the neighbours would keep a woman plenty busy enough. I do wonder if Anne will get involved with Gilbert's practice at all. She does have plenty of experience caring for ill children.

What beautiful write-ups for both of your parents! What incredible experiences they had over their lifetimes. It's wonderful that they were able to leave all of their family and friends with such great memories.

I like the disclaimers goal too, Carolyn. It's also well worded and straight to the point. I would feel much more inclined to engage in discussion about a topic after seeing this disclaimer.

The extension of the Indigenous term was meant to be a general message, not to assume you didn't know its meaning and use. Apologies for any offense there. The further explanation was just because I felt it was important to leave a brief explanation that this is the umbrella term, for anyone else who might read this. The Goodreads app does not seem to agree with comments in any area so that did not end up appearing as it was meant to.

This is very exciting, Carolyn! Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I hadn’t heard anything about this. It’s about time Indigenous people take their rightful place in our government. If anyone should be deciding things about this country, it should be them. I hope Wab Kinew will accomplish great things during his term!

Just a quick correction, Carolyn. Aboriginal is widely considered in Canada to be an ‘outdated’. Indigenous is the agreed upon replacement. Also, Indigenous is the umbrella term for the three major groups: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Using whichever of these three someone identifies as is the even more respectful way to identify an Indigenous person. Wab Kinew is specifically First Nations. We could even go as far as the tribe someone identifies with, but I don’t know Wab Kinew’s. In conclusion, Indigenous is the term we should all be moving towards using for all references to the first peoples of Canada.

Happy Canada Day!!!!

After last year's nearly disastrous Oscar's, this year's was such a refreshing and enjoyable event. I would totally support Jimmy Kimmel hosting again. I think he handled it almost perfectly. I also loved all the acceptance speeches. It was nice to finally get to see all the awards announced! The musical performances were also really well done, for the most part. Lady Gaga's absolutely blew me away.

It was so exciting to see Brendan Fraser win his Oscar! I haven't seen his movie but I'm sure the award was well deserved. I was worried he was going to faint because he was hyperventilating, poor thing! It was also really exciting to see Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Ke Huy Quan get the recognition they so deserve. I love Ke Huy Quan's enthusiasm, and it was adorable when he immediately ran up on stage to hug his former co-star Harrison Ford when "Everything Everywhere" won Best Picture. Those three also delivered wonderful acceptance speeches, as did Sarah Polley.

I quickly understood why John Travolta was getting so emotional, and when he said "They've made us smile, and became dear friends who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to," I got a lump in my throat too. And that 'In Memorium'.... THAT was how you do an 'In Memorium' performance! I've heard some important people were left out, but I'm just happy that I finally got to see all the photos and read all the names. Too often the camera focuses on the performer rather than the slideshow. I don't care about who's singing it, I want to know who's passed away and what their artistic contribution was to the world! I don't have anything against Lenny Kravitz, but I didn't want to see him, and for once, the camera didn't focus on him too much.

I also love getting an introduction to new Canadian musicians through the Junos. It's nice to see new artists getting recognition for their work, especially unique artists. My favourite singer, Faouzia, was nominated for Songwriter of the Year, but The Weeknd won. I would have loved to see her perform, but I'm sure her time will come. Tate McRae and Tenille Townes' performances were highlights for me. I've been really enjoying their music and their distinctive voices.

Yes, Simu was a great host and I was excited to see him back. His adaptations of Avril Lavingne's most famous songs were hilarious!

I too am desperately hoping the Ontario government will get their act together and save the Greenbelt from the development plans. Ontario is falling far short of it's environmental promises and carbon emission plans. :(

Happy birthday, Carolyn!! I hope you and your family are well, and that you will be surrounded by an abundance of blessings in this fresh new year and always. :)

It’s snowing here too and it looks so beautiful outside! It’s finally starting to feel like Christmas is coming!

Your friend, Leeanne

Happy birthday kitties!!! I hope they’ve had a wonderful day!!

I have seen several episodes of "Still Standing", Carolyn, and I love it! Johnny Harris is hilarious and I love learning about Canada's small towns.When I saw the episode of Churchill, Manitoba, I thought of you, even though Churchill's quite far north. I'm so glad you found this show as well!

I'll order "Except the Dying" in from the library as soon as I'm done with the two books I'm reading now. They shouldn't take long at all.

What really confused me about which Mr. Murdoch we were meeting was the information about his wife having just died. That made me think that we were meeting Will at the end of his career, after he was married, and that is what confused me. When I realized that this was a descendant of Will, I finally understood why Maureen was mentioning a wife. Then when Bill starts telling Amy the story about the shipwreck, I caught on to how Maureen was bringing William Murdoch into this.

I plan on ordering "Except the Dying" from my city library around the end of May. It will be brought in from the next town over, so I shouldn't have to wait more than a day or two after. I think my library has all, or at least most of the series. It also has some of the TV series! I'm excited to read the next books, and I found "Shipwreck" quite valuable for getting to know Will Murdoch.

The mask mandates in Ontario have just been extended until June 11 (they were supposed to be dropped on the 27th of April). This means that public transit, hospitals, and long-term care and retirement homes still require masks. I don't know if businesses can request that customers wear masks or not. There are no number restrictions on places anymore. I still wear my mask when I go places because the number of cases are still high in Ontario. It's obvious that they would be higher if the hospitals still did covid testing, but they only do that for special cases. You can't just walk in and ask for one anymore. I know a lot of people who've had covid but I haven't gotten it yet, and hopefully I won't.

Alright Carolyn, you asked me to write my initial reactions to this before reading what you all thought of this, so here goes.

I'll be honest, it took me three tries to get past the first 3 and some odd chapters because I kept getting sidetracked before I could get any farther! I was also a bit confused about what was going on until I realized that Bill Murdoch is not the William Murdoch that this series is about. After that initial confusion I got right into this.

I immediately liked young Will and the Nova Scotia setting was simply marvelous to read about. Oh we don't get to read about our country nearly enough, do we Carolyn? I obviously have been starved for home stories recently because I was so delighted to be there (mentally of course), even in the middle of a raging storm.

I instantly felt a connection to Will: 1. because he's Canadian, and 2. because even though I've never been an altar server, I can relate to getting distracted during a Catholic Mass. If it wasn't for covid I might even be attending the Easter Vigil tonight, which is a looong one, but so worth it because of the all candles in the dark church... Well, obviously there's also the exciting fact that Jesus is rising from the dead. Hmm, it seems my priorities are a little off, aren't they? Anyways, I'm off track.

I also instantly liked Father Keegan. To me at least, priests have always seemed kind of far away, if that makes sense, and Father Keegan felt very human and not so far away. He's also a very bright man and I loved that he was gently guiding Will in figuring out the mystery.

I wish Bill, Amy and Wendy Murdoch hadn't interrupted the story as often as they did, especially Amy. It jolted me out of the story every time and got really annoying by the end. Do any of them make appearances in the rest of the series? If they don't, I don't understand why Maureen Jennings included so much about them.

The mystery was not the most interesting one, but I liked how it was different since there were no suspects to interview. Everyone involved was dead, unfortunately for them, of course. Father Keegan and Will had to follow the clues in the woman's words, on the bodies, and in people's clothes. They can't say for sure how everything went down on the boat, but I'm okay not having a completely clear answer.