school & library binding, 288 pages
English language
Published Oct. 21, 1999 by Tandem Library.
Anne Shirley has left Redmond College behind to begin a new job and a new chapter of her life away from Green Gables. Now she faces a new challenge: the Pringles. They're known as the royal family of Summerside -- and they quickly let Anne know she is not the person they had wanted as principal of Summerside High School. But as she settles into the cozy tower room at Windy Poplars, Anne finds she has great allies in the widows Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty -- and in their irrepressible housekeeper, Rebecca Dew. As Anne learns Summerside's strangest secrets, winning the support of the prickly Pringles becomes only the first of her delicious triumphs.
As I mentioned in previous reviews, I'm finding that I enjoy these books a bit more now that I'm older. L.M. Montgomery is wonderful with her description of the quirky characters, yet always keeps Anne's positive side and gentle amusement shining through.
I felt this book took quite the turn from the previous. Yes, Anne is more grown up now, I get it. But I'll be honest, I found the constant snippets from letters to Gilbert a little annoying. I shall love Anne and Gilbert forever, but the letters kept disrupting the narrative and pulling me out. As a result this book took far longer to finish than the others, even though it's actually shorter. I couldn't sink into it in quite the same way.
