Anne Of Green Gables

Hello All!

I keep a personal blog in addition to being a contributor here... as I am assuming is the case with most of you... anyhow... Shayla, our dear book-club-leader, asked me to re-post on this blog one that I recently did on my personal blog. Since I-love-her-so I am doing it now. I have much more to say on this subject and hope that we can generate some good discussion. Anyone else read Anne? There is so much to discuss with her. Without further ado... my post:

(Originally Posted HERE on Nov 24, 2009)

I finished reading book #6 in the Anne of Green Gables tonight.

It's entitled Anne of Ingleside.

I must tell you that I am positively smitten with these wholesome and delightful books. I know I use the word "lovely," a lot. Perhaps I throw it out there a bit too frequently, but I assure you that if anything ever deserved the word... these books do.

They are so refreshingly joyful, clean, and lovely.

Anne of Ingleside is set when the young, dreamy, and wide eyed Anne has grown up. She's married and starts the novel with five children. She encompasses so much of what I want to be as a mother and I admit I am envious of the unsullied, simple and romantic world that she gets to raise her darlings in. I wish I could give my own darlings such an enchanting, safe and respectful world to grow up in.

Can I share a few quotes that touched me to tears?

"A sort of moonlit rapture was running through the trees in the Hollow. Anne could even laugh... with a quiver behind the laughter... over their panic of an hour ago and Aunt Mary Maria's absurd suggestions and goulish memories. Her child was safe... Gilbert was somewhere battling to save another child's life... Dear God, help him and help the mother... help all the mothers everywhere. We need so much help, with the little sensitive loving hearts and minds that look to us for guidance and love and understanding."

"..."I should have found out what was troubling her. But I've been too much taken up with other things this week... things that really mattered nothing compared to a child's unhappiness. Think of what the poor darling has suffered." She stooped repentantly, gloatingly over them. They were still hers... wholly hers, to mother and love and protect. They still came to her with every love and grief of their little hearts. For a few years longer they would be hers... and then? Anne shivered. Motherhood was very sweet... but very terrible. "I wonder what life holds for them," she whispered."

This week I encountered some opinions which put me out a bit. They were discussing that being a wife and mother and devoting your all to that isn't good enough. That in order to make a difference in the world... or feel fulfilled... or... I'm not really sure what... you need to be more and look outside just those two little words.

It left me feeling confused and dreary.

I think this book came to me at just the right time. I really believe that Heavenly Father inspired other writers beyond the voices in the scriptures.

Due to Anne and the Ingleside Clan, and a meaningful talk with my Whitney (a more sweet voice on the purpose, duties, and joys of being a wife and mother you will be hard pressed to find)... hashing out all the details that I had been pondering... I feel much better. So so much to say and to consider on that subject but I already went through it all with Whit... I don't feel like doing it here.

Today was so beautiful. My darlings really are just that: My darlings. (Thank you Anne-girl for that term. I am stealing it and claiming it as my own forthwith and henceforth.) Today I chose to let myself revel in the blessing it is to be their mommy and my glass was completely and utterly overflowing. How could I ever have let myself be so bothered? I know there is no place on earth I would rather be or that could make me happier or bring me more fulfillment than in my own home with Corey, Jack and Alaster. What a wonderful thought.

***I realize that I comment a very sensitive subject this evening. I know there are plenty of good women who are able to, and choose to do more... Please know that I am not trying to counter-demean them, or take away from their many accomplishments and contributions. Isn't it wonderful that Heavenly Father has such unique and wonderful plans for each of His children?***

A post from Dee

This post is in behalf of Deedee, who was having technical difficulties, about Three Cups of Tea:

I think every American should read this book. The villagers shame at 911 was so over powering it was all I could think about for days. The way the people treated him and got him out of country was astonishing. We are lead to believe by the media that all muslims are bad and want to kill us all. NOT SO just the crazy ones that believe Osama bin Laden.

The education part is extraordinary. I loved that they have had their first girl doctor trained. When you educate girls you educate a nation. Long before formal school it is what children learn from their mothers that matters. If their women believe the world is good the children will believe that too and they will not be brain washed into believing other wise. As a great warrior once said his young men were protected because their mothers believed and they did not doubt their mothers. The passion for reading by your mom really shapes how much you desire education. if you see your parents read you will want to read and that is the beginning of educational desire. GREAT BOOK. Loaned out my copy it is still wandering. Hope it comes home soon. I want my sisters to read it.

dee

Book Review

As a book club, we rated The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

5 out of 5

Our best rating yet! If you haven't read it yet, we highly encourage you!

Education, anyone??

I'll admit, I just barely started Three Cups of Tea today. I tried it before, but I don't know anything about mountain climbing. But today I pressed forward, and this quote from the book got me thinking a lot.

"Can you imagine a fourth-grade class in America, alone, without a teacher, sitting there quietly and working on their lessons? I felt like my heart was being torn out. There was a fierceness in their desire to learn, despite how mightily everything was stacked against them.... I knew I had to do something." (pg. 32)

So my question is, how can we encourage our children, our nieces, nephews, the community at large to value education in our fame, fashion, sports, money, etc. obsessed society. I am pretty sure that everyone who visits here values education, or you wouldn't be bettering yourselves by reading and discussion, but how do we encourage the next generation to value these same things?? How do we make learning fun? Interesting? Any ideas? (I know there are a lot of educators out there...)

Casting a Late Vote

So I finally got my copy of The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (note to self: if I ever write a book... do NOT make the title more than three words... no matter how cute it sounds long) and I finished it in about 2 days. I came right to the blog to cast my vote (you know... the rate it on the sidebar that we do for all the books...) and was bummed to find the poll had been closed! I wanted to cast my 5!

What a wonderful book! There's so much I want to say about it but here are the highlights:

I want to move to an island.

I'm so glad I didn't live during WW2.

My favorite funny scene was when Isola stormed in on Juliet after reading Jane Austen and demanding "What else have you been keeping from me?!?"

There are so many loveable characters but I think my favorite was Elizabeth... followed closely by Isola and Dawsey... and Juliet.

Yay for books! Books really can change people!!! They can change the world!!!

Loved the letter/telegraph format. So romantic, so different, so cool.

Basically loved it all... the writing... the characters... the moral points... wonderful. So sweet and so entertaining.

It's probably too late to start a discussion for this book as it's almost time to start 3 cups of tea discussion... which by the by... I volunteer never to choose the book again... I like 3cups okay and I think the story is a fantastic one and very important but I seriously wish someone else had done the actual writing of the story... did anyone else have a hard time getting into it? I am almost done but I just can't seem to make myself finish! As it is my pick though I promise to do it.

In the mean time... if you didn't read The Gurnsey book: DO! It's stupendous! I vote this as our best pick thus far! Nice choice Miss Bott!

Bluestockings

First of all, I have to say that I loved the witty and charming letters in this book. Nobody writes like this anymore! Now you can take a picture with your cell phone, and email it to someone, but I love the description of the Island and everything else. What a lost art! I must admit that my emails got a little bit more flowery as I have been reading this book. The letters in this book reminded me about the first Mitford book, by Jan Karon, where Father Tim talks his mentor in the church handwriting letters even though he didn't really have the time to, because he was so impressed by the scripture that said that Paul wrote the letters "by his own hand".

I have a serious discussion to post about later, but I was amused at the reference to Bluestockings in both this book and in Wives and Daughters. (Bluestocking is a derogatory term for female intellectuals) In GLAPPPS (lol...great acronym), her fiance breaks up with her calling her a bluestocking because she freaks out when he tries to pack up her books and put them in the basement, and in W&D, Molly is distraught when Mrs. Gibson calls her a bluestocking for reading a Natural History book from Roger. So I'm just throwing this out there... are looks the most important thing for women still, or have we come a long way in allowing women to be intellectuals? Are things the same, or have they really changed?

All in all, loved loved loved this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys witty and intelligent, tongue-in-cheek writing.

Wives and Daughters Review

Out of the voting members, we gave Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

3.8 out of 5