Jill Tew on Anne of Green Gables

Last week, I read an interview with author Jill Tew in which she talked about being a fan of Anne of Green Gables. Jill Tew's debut novel, The Dividing Sky was published this past fall by Joy Revolution, Penguin Random House. The Dividing Sky is a dystopian romance set in the year 2364, and it's about a teenager who sells memories and takes on a mysterious assignment.

In an interview with Jesse Davis of Memphis Magazine, Jill Tew talks about her "first-ever favorite book," which was Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. In describing Anne Shirley, Tew says, “People around [Anne], as much as they loved her, often encouraged her to get her head out of the clouds, but she was able to hold onto that and infuse her own world with a little bit of magic.” Tew continues to reflect on Anne of Green Gables saying, “I was a little girl at the time and felt similarly. I saw magic and fairy tales in everyday life, and it was nice to see a character live that on the page unapologetically, and I think in doing so, bring magic to the people around her.”

I love Jill Tew's description of Anne's ability to infuse her world with magic and bring magic to others. As an author, Jill Tew brings her own creative magic to her readers. The Dividing Sky sounded so inventive and compelling that I checked the novel out from my library. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Image credits:
Left: Photograph of Jill Tew from her website.
Right: Painting of Anne of Green Gables by Ben Stahl.

Reference:
Davis, Jesse. (December 19, 2024). Future Fiction: Bold New Worlds: Jill Tew’s debut YA novel is a surprisingly inspiring dystopian story. Memphis Magazine. Retrieved from: https://memphismagazine.com/culture/future-fiction-bold-new-worlds/.

Created December 26, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Green Gables Gets a New Roof

Green Gables, the home that inspired L.M. Montgomery to write Anne of Green Gables, is in the process of getting a new roof this month. The $50,000 renovations will replace the roof and repair the eaves and gutters on the historic building. The work will be done by the end of this year, so Green Gables will be ready for next season's visitors.

Learn more by watching this video by CBC News.

Image credits:
Screencapture of the story from CBC News.

Reference:
A new roof for Green Gables. (December 20, 2024). CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6564840.

Created December 23, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Apply to be the Anne of Green Gables Imitator for Parks Canada

There are several student and youth jobs available at Parks Canada for summer 2025, including the Anne-Imitator position. The Anne-Imitator plays the role of Anne of Green Gables and engages with visitors at the Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, P.E.I.

Here's the job description from the Prince Edward Island Employment Journey website:

The Anne-Imitator portrays the character “Anne of Green Gables” at Green Gables Heritage place in full costume. “Anne” will engage visitors, pose for photo opportunities, and participate in interpretive activities such as old-fashioned games and races, ice-cream making and other potential demonstrations.

Skills required: the ability to deliver presentations as the character “Anne Shirley” using effective dramatic techniques, to work with the public, and to work as a team. This is a bilingual (English and French) position.

There are also student positions open for Park Communicators, Janitorial Students, and Heritage Communicators. To learn more about these opportunities, Parks Canada is holding a recruitment visit at UPEI that is taking place on January 28, 2025.

Image credits:
Image highlighting job opportunities from Parks Canada.

Reference:
Riley, Heidi. (December 12, 2024). Student and youth positions available at Parks Canada. Prince Edward Island Employment Journey. Retrieved from: https://employmentjourney.com/student-and-youth-positions-available-at-parks-canada/.

Created December 23, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

The 2024 World of Anne Shirley Gift Guide

Here's a list of gift ideas for the Anne Shirley fans in your life.

1) For a future kindred spirit - The Anne of Green Gables Complete 8-Book Box Set (pictured above) is the perfect way to introduce a friend to Anne Shirley.



2) For fans of the adaptations - These days, we rely on streaming subscriptions, and we rarely own copies of our favorite films and TV series. I think that when you love an adaptation, it's really nice to own it and to be able to watch it anytime instead of renting the right to watch it. You can purchase Sullivan Entertainment's Anne of Green Gables miniseries collection set on DVD and buy the Anne with an E television series in HD as a gift for a loved one, and they'll be able to enjoy watching Anne Shirley for years to come.



3) For a puzzle lover - This 1014-piece Anne of Green Gables puzzle is sure to please and provide hours of enjoyment. It features artwork inspired by the 1979 anime Anne of Green Gables series. I received this special gift for Christmas and posted about it previously. There are several other Anne puzzles available, including one with Anne Shirley reading a book in front of Green Gables, one with Anne and Diana running through the birch woods, and one with Matthew and Anne's carriage ride through the White Way of Delight.



4) For an art lover - These silhouette prints of Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley by Sealhouette on etsy are so charming and romantic. They're perfect for a library or reading nook containing a collection of L.M. Montgomery's books.



5) For an L.M. Montgomery fan - The Lucy Maud Montgomery Album by Kevin McCabe is a gorgeous coffee table book filled with photos and articles to explore Montgomery's life.



6) An Anne-inspired stocking stuffer - This Anne of Green Gables Christmas ornament is an decoration I love to hang on my Christmas tree each year. I bought one when I visited PEI years ago.


Image credits:
Images of the Anne of Green Gables Complete 8-Book Box Set, Sullivan Entertainment's Anne of Green Gables Miniseries DVD Set, Anne With an E DVD set, Anne of Green Gables puzzle, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Album, and Anne Shirley Christmas ornament from amazon. Image of silhouette prints of Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley by Sealhouette from etsy.

Created December 12, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Riley Keough on Anne of Green Gables

Today, I ran across another fan of Anne of Green Gables. It's Riley Keough, the American actress and producer known for her roles in Daisy Jones & The Six, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Good Doctor. She is the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and the granddaughter of Elvis Presley.

Riley Keough took part in a Lit Check, a new collaboration between Reese Witherspoon's book club and Apple Books to share some of the books she loves. She shared seven of her favorite books in this video, and among them was Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.

Here are Riley Keough's book recommendations:

1) Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Riley Keough plays Daisy Jones in the Amazon Prime television miniseries based on this book.
2) Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - a book she loved as a little girl.
3) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - She loved this book when she was younger and enjoyed figuring out which character she related to.
4) Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown - Keough reads this classic children's story with her daughter.
5) Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell - a YA book written by an indigenous woman.
6) Know my Name by Chanel Miller - a powerful memoir.
7) From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough - Lisa Marie Presley's memoir, which Riley Keough wrote with her mother.

In discussing why she selected Anne of Green Gables as one of her book picks, Riley Keough says, "My second pick, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I just loved this when I was a little girl. I just was like obsessed with her and just like wanted to live her life."

So many Anne of Green Gables fans agree.

Image credits:
Left: Screencapture of Riley Keough from Lit Check with Riley Keough & Apple Books | Reese's Book Club.
Right: Photograph of Megan Follows as Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel © Sullivan Entertainment.

Created December 12, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

December had remembered that it was time for winter...

"But on this particular day it seemed as if December had remembered that it was time for winter and had turned suddenly dull and brooding, with a windless hush predictive of coming snow."
-L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Avonlea

Read more quotes by L.M. Montgomery.

Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

Purchase and read Anne of Avonlea and the Anne of Green Gables series:



Created December 11, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Maud of Green Gables

Maud of Green Gables: How L.M. Montgomery's Anne Enchanted the World is a book by Janet Wilson. Featuring Wilson's impressionist oil paintings, the limited edition picture book was released in September 2024 by Coach House Printing. The book celebrates the 150th anniversary of L.M. Montgomery's birth. It tells the story of L.M. Montgomery's life, how she was inspired to write Anne of Green Gables, and how the novel became a beloved classic worldwide. Throughout the book, there are quotes from Anne of Green Gables and from L.M. Montgomery's autobiography and journals.

In an article in The Wellington Advertiser, Wilson spoke about her book and L.M. Montgomery saying, "It’s kind of everything you’d ever want to know about Green Gables, but maybe you didn’t...A lot of it is about her process, how she came up with an idea, how she fit it into her schedule and why it is so popular internationally."

You can purchase Maud of Green Gables through Janet Wilson's webpage and the Shop at Sullivan website. The softcover book is 36 pages long and measures 8.5” x 11.”

Here is the description of the book from Shop at Sullivan:

Maud of Green Gables: How L. M. Montgomery's Anne Enchanted the World celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of L. M. Montgomery! Featuring the captivating art of Janet Wilson.

This lovely non-fiction book explores the intertwined legacies of Anne Shirley's world and Montgomery’s life, tracing the story of Anne of Green Gables from conception to the 1908 publication, and through its meteoric rise to becoming a beloved classic in Canada and around the world.

Maud of Green Gables considers why L. M. Montgomery’s book has never been out of print and has been translated into over 40 languages, as well as why Anne Shirley is one of the most recognizable characters in all of literature. Much of this fascinating story is told in Montgomery's own words quoted from her autobiography, personal journals, and her debut novel, Anne of Green Gables.

ISBN-13: 978-1-0688776-0-5

Official Website:
Janet Wilson's webpage

Image credit:
Book cover of Maud of Green Gables.

Review:
Maud of Green Gables: How L. M. Montgomery's Anne Enchanted the World - a terrific review of the book by Helen K at CanLit for LittleCanadians.

Reference:
Thompson, Ellouise. (September 6, 2024). Eden Mills author offers colourful glimpse into life, work of renowned author L.M. Montgomery. The Wellington Advertiser. Retrieved from: https://www.wellingtonadvertiser.com/eden-mills-author-offers-colourful-glimpse-into-life-work-of-renowned-author-l-m-montgomery/.

Created December 3, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com