Anne of the Island

Anne of the Island, L.M. Montgomery's third Anne novel, follows Anne Shirley as she leaves home for college and starts to grow up.

Anne heads off to Redmond College with her old friend Priscilla, and soon shares a little house called Patty's Place with a cheerful new friend, Philippa Gordon. She studies hard, makes new friends, and settles into the small joys and small worries of student life far from home. Old friends from Avonlea drift in and out of her letters, and Anne slowly figures out who she wants to become.

Along the way, a childhood friend asks Anne to marry him, and she says no, sure that he is not the one for her. She meets other suitors too, including a charming, poetic young man who seems to offer the kind of romance she once dreamed of. It takes a few more years, a few more mistakes, and a good long look at her own heart before Anne understands what she actually wants and who has been waiting for her all along.

This is a gentle coming-of-age story about growing up, going to college, and figuring out love almost too late to notice it. It's perfect for listeners who already love the Anne of Green Gables books, or anyone who enjoys a quiet, old-fashioned story about friendship and first steps into adulthood.

You don't need the earlier books to fall into this one. Elizabeth Grace's quiet voice lets Anne's college years drift by, gentle enough to close your eyes to right away.