Litsy

Rainbow Valley | L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

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Another charming read! I enjoyed getting to know more of the world of Ingleside and Anne's presence was still felt throughout. What surprised me was how late in time this was set - I always imagined the Anne of Green Gables series to be set in the 1800s, but there were a lot of references to historical events from the early 1900s. It makes sense, but still surprised me! Just one book left and I'm done this series. (Pictured with my next read)

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kwmg40

Rainbow Valley | L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

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Another charming installment in the Anne of Green Gables series. This one featured a few of Anne's children but was mostly about a family they befriend.

#gottacatchemall(Cottonee:friends stick together)
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread @BarbaraJean

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emilycoc

Rainbow Valley | L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

Next read is going to be something a bit more wholesome. Book seven of the series and #BookEightOf2025

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BarbaraJean

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

LMM dedicates Rainbow Valley to three young men who were killed in WWI, and the ending of the novel, with its references to the Piper, foreshadows the war to come. Did you notice anything else in the book that echoes or explores these bookend references to the war?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder Ellen West seems pretty convinced there's something rotten in the state of Germany. 3mo

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder And she wasn't wrong! I loved seeing LMM's interest in politics come out in that way. I felt like the Piper stuff was a little heavy-handed, but I liked that little foreshadowing with Ellen. 3mo

kwmg40 There were definitely instances of foreshadowing -- references to the politics but also suggestions that the world will change and the current times will be gone forever. 2mo

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 Yes! I think that‘s what I had a hard time putting my finger on. There‘s a whole mood of “all this is about to change.” It makes the childhood games and antics that much more nostalgic. 2mo

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BarbaraJean

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

It was heartbreaking to read the above in LMM‘s journals and to see LMM‘s loss of her cousin and dear friend overshadowing the publication of Rainbow Valley. But I loved hearing the source for both of these Rainbow Valley moments.

What are some of your favorite parts of Rainbow Valley? Favorite episodes or quotes?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

JenlovesJT47 I can‘t wait to actually sit down and read her journals. Hoping to get to it this week. 💚 She was such an interesting person. 3mo

CogsOfEncouragement Throughout the book, it was interesting to me how gossip in the small community played such a role in nearly everything. Sometimes the gossip caused great harm, and sometimes it was the gossip of others that prompted someone to act to everyone's betterment. 3mo

BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 I hope you end up being able to get to them—I‘ve really loved reading the journals! 3mo

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BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I got so mad at the gossips! Yes, there were times the Meredith kids (AND the Blythes, if we‘re being fair—which the gossips were not) really got up to mischief—like the pig-riding 😂 But it seemed like the things that set off the worst gossip were often innocent mistakes (like cleaning the house on Sunday!) or situations the kids should/would never have been in—if a responsible adult had provided some guidance and care. 3mo

BarbaraJean In spite of how much John Meredith (as a father) frustrated me, I really enjoyed the Rosemary + John love story. I was rooting for the kids to have her in their life. I loved her friendship with Faith, and how Una finally brought everything together so sweetly & selflessly. I also loved basically all of the scenes that centered on Faith. Her explanation in front of the church, her letter to the Journal, and the pig-riding!! ⤵️ 3mo

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) And I loved Faith‘s response to seeing that condescending minister catch his coat-tails on fire, vindicating poor Adam just a little bit! 3mo

kwmg40 I enjoyed the antics of the Meredith kids, and seeing how their “bad behaviour“ usually stemmed from childish impulsiveness, kindheartedness or good intentions. 2mo

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 I really loved those kids! It bothered me that the gossips labeled them as such “bad” kids, because they all had such good intentions. 2mo

25 likes8 comments

BarbaraJean

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

For those who are re-reading the series: How was it reading Rainbow Valley right after House of Dreams instead of after Anne of Ingleside?

Does this book feel like an “Anne” book to you? What do you think of the glimpses we do get of Anne and Gilbert?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder I think it makes more sense coming right after House of Dreams. Well, actually, I think it's that Anne of Ingleside makes more sense if you read this one first. LMM introduces all the children in this one, but on my first read through, I read Ingleside first and was a little lost. I think I'll enjoy that one more this time through. 3mo

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Oh, I hadn‘t even thought about that with Ingleside! Even though we get very little development of the Blythe kids here, at least we do get the general introductions. I‘ll definitely be paying attention to how that affects my reading of Ingleside this time. 3mo

BarbaraJean Although this doesn‘t feel like an Anne book to me, doing kind of a fast-forward to the next generation made sense to me. And I loved getting to see glimpses of Anne and Gilbert at this stage of their lives. The few moments we get of Anne as a parent (both to her own kids and to the Meredith kids at times) were just lovely. 3mo

18 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

What worked or didn‘t work for you in this book? What did you most enjoy? What did you dislike or find problematic?

We get a bunch of new characters: Anne‘s children and the Meredith family, and various members of the community including the West sisters. Which were your favorites or least favorites? Who would you have liked to read more (or less!) about?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

CogsOfEncouragement I of course like Rosemary. I was very much frustrated by Ellen not allowing Rosemary out of a promise no one should make, and then again when Ellen was keeping herself and three other people from easy happiness. I enjoyed Norman's character and any scene he was mentioned.

Faith was a favorite, I chuckled as she tried to fix messes she made, only to make things worse in some ways. Her letter to The Journal was a hoot! 3mo

lauraisntwilder I was a little confused about when Mrs. Meredith died. I haven't taken the time to look back, but I swear Mr. Meredith has a memory of his wife holding little Una and it sounded like Una was a baby, or a very young toddler, at least. But later Una remembers a speech her father gives them shortly after her mother's death. I wouldn't have thought she be old enough to remember. 3mo

lauraisntwilder *she'd be old enough 3mo

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TheAromaofBooks We'll see if Litsy lets me comment😑 RV has always been my least favorite of the Anne books, and I think it's because I don't like John Meredith. Can anyone really be this self-absorbed and neglectful? How can you still consider him a “good“ person? I have no patience with his whole “guilt-stricken“ moments that are immediately followed by him pursuing his own interests again. While I love the children, I find John impossible to root for. 3mo

BarbaraJean I really like the characters in Rainbow Valley—I love the Meredith kids. But it frustrates me that the Blythe kids are just side characters. And it‘s way too darn hard to remember which Blythe is which, because they‘re not at all fleshed out, and then Nan and Di are named after Anne and Diana, which confuses me! 3mo

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement Faith was my favorite! I loved her boldness to stand up to the gossips, both with her church announcement and her letter to the Journal. My jaw literally dropped with some of her comments in her letter—but most of what came across so harshly was said truthfully and without malice. Like her comment about the yarn!! I love Rosemary, too—and Ellen‘s stubbornness and hypocrisy infuriate me. 3mo

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder I found that memory of Cecilia and Una—it‘s halfway through Ch. 14: “the child whom the dying mother had clasped to her heart… Cecilia had clung to her baby until the gates of death had shut between them.” I was confused, too—“her baby” sounds like Una was either an infant or the youngest, but we know Carl is younger than Una. The AoGG fandom wiki says Jerry was 8 when his mother died, which would make Una 6 at that point. 3mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks YES about John Meredith. I liked Rainbow Valley more on this reading than before, partly because it reminded me so much of the little gang of friends in Story Girl/Golden Road. But John Meredith bothered me SO much more. No matter how much he supposedly cares for his children emotionally, he‘s a crappy father. But I was equally infuriated by the community, who gossip & judge those poor good-hearted, well-meaning kids who have ⬇ 3mo

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …absolutely no support or guidance at home. I wanted to cheer at Anne‘s speech about what she‘d say about the Meredith kids, and the way Miss Cornelia took it to heart. But those kids needed more than adults defending them and their father‘s love for them. I think I was rooting for Rosemary & John in part because those kids needed her so badly!! But it also made me really angry that John finding a wife was presented as the best solution ⬇ 3mo

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …for his failures as a father. Because guess what? If he can‘t remember that he has kids that need caring for, odds are he‘s going to neglect his wife, too. And that‘s going to be a crap marriage if her primary role as a wife is getting him to pull his nose out of tomes of German theology in order to remember he has a wife and kids. (Also UGH to commenting on Litsy via the web right now...) 3mo

kwmg40 I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the earlier ones. I agree with others that John Meredith was an infuriating character but I liked all the other characters, even Ellen. One complaint I had about the subplots is that I felt I had seen them all before in earlier books -- the rescued child, the long-separated lovers, etc. 2mo

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 Yes, LMM does have certain tropes she uses a LOT! 2mo

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CogsOfEncouragement

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

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This is a reread for me of Anne of Green Gable # 7. I read it the first time over ten years ago and I didn‘t remember much. A nice happy escape with some laugh out loud moments. I look forward to the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead discussion on Saturday.

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lauraisntwilder

Rainbow Valley (Special Collector's) | L M Montgomery

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I think I liked this better the first time I read it, 2 years ago. I still like it because there's something about LMM's writing that always appeals to me. But, this time Ellen West being a terrible sister and the way she talks to her cat irritated me. And then there was Mr. Meredith, who kept wishing a woman would come along and do all his work for him. 🙄

BarbaraJean Uggghh, Mr. Meredith bothered me so much more this time around!! 3mo

lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean I honestly don't think I noticed him much last time I read it. This time, I kept wanting someone to tell him he was being a horrible father. Rachel Lynde would have! 3mo

BarbaraJean Miss Cornelia does!! And then he goes and gets lost in German theology and forgets. 🙄 3mo

lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean She does, finally, but it comes SO late in the book. 3mo

31 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

Hello, #KindredSpirits! Checking in halfway through our read of Rainbow Valley!

📚How is your reading going? What are your thoughts so far?
📚What stands out to you from the first half of the book?
📚Any favorite sections or quotes?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

CogsOfEncouragement I'm just to chapter seven at this moment, but plan to finish the whole book in time for next week's discussion. This is a re-read for me. I read it once over ten years ago.

I'm struck by the relationship between Susan and Shirley, that he would not go with the rest of the family to Avonlea but with Susan to visit her brother. I can't imagine.

3mo

CogsOfEncouragement Chapter One:

“Speaking of gossip...Mrs. Harrison Miller over harbour tried to hang herself...If I had been in her shoes, Mrs. Dr. dear, I would have gone to work to worry him so that he would try to hang himself instead of me.“
3mo

CogsOfEncouragement Chapter Four:

Love was the only law at Glen St. Mary manse.

The world isn't a vale of tears, Mrs. Taylor. It's a world of laughter.

Father said in his sermon...we should love everybody...How could we love Mrs. Alec Davis?...Oh, father only said that from the pulpit...He has more sense than to really think that outside. (edited) 3mo

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CogsOfEncouragement Chapter Five:

Mr. Wiley used to mention hell when he was alive. He was always telling folks to go there. I thought it was some place over in New Brunswick where he come from. 3mo

julieclair I‘m behind as usual… 🙄 3mo

lauraisntwilder Just like the last time I read this, I can't help feeling like it's strange to be introduced to all Anne's children and then spend most of the book with an entirely different group of children. I like Meredith children, so I'm still enjoying the book, but it's odd. Gilbert only spoke in one scene so far, that I can remember. I miss him--and Diana and Marilla, and, actually, Anne, too! 3mo

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I thought it was odd as well, to have Susan take Shirley with her to visit her brother instead of him going with all the other siblings to Avonlea. He and Rilla kind of just disappear from the narrative (well, until the codfish episode with Rilla!). (edited) 3mo

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I love all the quotes you mentioned. Every one of them was one that caught my eye as well. I loved this especially: “The world isn't a vale of tears, Mrs. Taylor. It's a world of laughter.“ I love Faith Meredith so very much!! 3mo

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder It IS odd. The first chapter sets up expectations that the book will be about the Blythes, and then the focus completely shifts. Like you, I like the Merediths, but it's such an adjacent-feeling book, rather than an “Anne“ book! Also: I wanted more about Anne and Gilbert's Europe trip! I'd read a whole novel about that! 3mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair I get it! Feel free to drop back in when you're able to catch up! 3mo

lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean Yes, would love more on the European trip or the Blythe children with Marilla and Rachel! 3mo

TheAromaofBooks I haven't started my reread of this one yet, but I'm planning to read the whole book this week!! We're at the new house with no internet right now, so my Litsy check ins are a little sporadic 😂 Hopefully we'll get things sorted this week!!

It's interesting to read this book directly after House of Dreams instead of after Ingleside. I think that adds to the “why isn't this book about the Blythes“ kind of feeling. 3mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks You‘ve had just a FEW other things going on in your life… 😆 Looking forward to hearing your thoughts next week, and best wishes on sorting all the things! (Or most of the things… some of the things… a few of the things… 😂) 3mo

kwmg40 I've only just started reading this novel so can't say too much yet. It's a reread for me, but I'd first read this so many years ago that it feels like a new experience! 3mo

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