"Before Green Gables" by Budge Wilson

For fans of LM Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables books, Before Green Gables will be received as an excellent prequel. Based on Anne’s life before her arrival at Avonlea and demonstrating plenty of research into the eight books that chart the life of Anne Shirley, its author Budge Wilson creates a realistic account of Anne’s young life. Orphaned as a baby, Anne is sent from one foster home to another living a very difficult life as a young girl. Her constant hardship of caring for children is only alleviated by her ability to escape to the world of her imagination. An assertive and curious child, Anne finds comfort in reading and in dreaming of a bright future. Only through these flights of fancy can she cope to any degree with her impoverished childhood. Before Green Gables was published in 2008 to mark Puffin's celebration of Anne Shirley’s centennial anniversary. For readers young and old, those of you who love the Chronicles of Avonlea and those of you who have yet to discover the enjoyment to be had from Montgomery’s books, Before Green Gables is the ideal start to this well-loved series.