Anne of Windy Poplars (Anne of Green Gables)

I love the Anne of Green Gables series. This particular book, Windy Poplars, has more description than the other books. It is longer on description and shorter on plot than the other books of the series, but it is well worth reading!

A good book from L.M. Montgomery that fills out some of the missing years in the Anne Shirley (of Green Gables fame) saga. This book was published 15 years after the original six books of the series. It is primarily a collection of letters from Anne to her fiance, Gilbert Blythe. The letters are stitched together with some well constructed 3rd person sections. Full of charming characters and just enough conflict to make it interesting, fans of the series will find much to enjoy in it.

I really enjoyed this book as part of the Anne books. For me they are classic and embody the triumph of good attitudes over bad. Gratitude is evident and being thankful for life regardless. Anne is the glass half full character.

The first Anne of Greene Gables books were wonderful, but this one was hard to get into. So many new characters to get acquainted with and long, long letters to Gilbert. I'm glad I made it through, I enjoyed the ending chapters best.

I have been reading the whole series so far with my daughter (now 11), and of all the books we've read of the Anne series, this one seems strange. I know it was written later in time by Ms. Montgomery but it almost gives us the feeling that someone else had written it. The tone is so different and Anne's perspective seems so odd. It is a series of letters written from Anne to Gilbert from the time they leave Redmond up until the time they are to be married perhaps? We haven't read through the entire book yet so I'm just guessing on that last part. Oh, well. We'll finish it up anyway. We have our fingers crossed that the next one in the series, Anne's House of Dreams, will return us to our beloved Anne as we know and love her.

Am reading the whole series as missed it as a teen except for "Green Gables". Montgomery was an excellent writer.
Readers today would likely think she uses long descriptions of everything too much. I recommend this series for girls ages
11 to 16 especially.
I like your service and would like to sell some of my own books. Please tell me how to go about this. Thanx.

Pat Bjork

Anne of Windy Poplars 2/7/2018 - 2/18/2018

Though I am enjoying reading this series, I am baffled by the seemingly lack of maturity of so many of the adult characters.

There are a bunch of characters introduced in this one. It's almost to the point of being too many.

Glad to have this old friend in electronic form. For that, thank you. Followed by, ARE YOU KIDDING? Does NO ONE proofread these things after they are converted? On a single page, "fairies tablecloths" became "felines tablecloths,". Followed by, instead of "tiny ferns," "tiny fems." REALLY? "Tiny fems?" A 10-year old would have found that odd. The total lack of care demonstrated by these two howlers changed my entire opinion from "how nice" to "how disgusting." If you're going to work with a classic, show it the respect it deserves - or leave it alone. Glad I still have my beat-up old hard copy, which I will use in future.

This is the story of Anne teaching in Windy Poplars a little coastal village. Anne rents a room with three older ladies and they all become good friends. Her teaching duties at the Summertide school are difficult in the beginning due to a family named Pringles, who pretty much run the town. It is interesting how Anne eventually wins them over along with the rest of the town. Anne forms a friendship with a little eight year girl next door and takes her under her wing and has some surprises in the land of tomorrow.
Another good one from Maud Lucy Montgomery.

Title: Anne of Windy Poplars by
Author: L.M. Montgomery
Read by: Tara Ward
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC
Length: Approximately 9 hours and 7 minutes
Source: From the Kewaunee Public Library through the Overdrive System

While Gilbert is finishing medical school for three years, Anne is the principal of Summerside High School in the town of Summerside. She resides with Aunt Kate, Aunt Chatty, and Rebecca Dew in a rented room at Windy Poplars. Anne has a troublesome time taking over the reins as principal, but as she is Anne Shirley, she preservers.

This book is different than the first three in the series as it is made of up letters that Anne has written to Gilbert about her experiences. It’s also interesting as Anne of Windy Poplars is the fourth book chronologically by Anne’s age, but it was the seventh book written, twenty years after the series was complete. You could tell at times when Anne says things such as good thing Canada is beyond being involved in wars. That was foreshadowing what will happen in the last book of the series, Rilla of Ingleside.

I loved Tara Ward’s narration. She has a wonderfully expressive voice and acted out the parts giving a new voice to each character. It was a very enjoyable listening experience.

LM Montgomery is such a wonderful character writer. I loved the crabby old lady who wouldn’t let her daughter have a day away and the crabby old man that sulked and wouldn’t speak to his family which led to an explosive family dinner that Anne attended. Anne met a lot of new and interesting characters in this book and almost seemed to have a magical way to solve their problems.

This novel does tell Anne’s story of gaining acceptance in Summerside, especially from the Pringle clan and also how she helped out her fellow teacher, the very cranky Katherine Brooke. Anne also spends a lot of time helping a lot of different people around town. The novel seemed more vignettes of their individual stories. I was having a bit of troubles with my audiobook at times and I would miss a minute (the Overdrive audio player wouldn’t pause in the car when someone would call. Aaah!!) and be very confused on where I was as there were all new characters suddenly. I wish the characters would have interacted more so I didn’t learn about them in one section only to never hear about them again for the rest of the book. I am a great fan of LM Montgomery’s short stories so this worked for me thinking of them as short stories.

Dusty Miller is a fabulous name for a cat – it’s the name of the cat that lives at Windy Poplars. I need a new gray cat just so I can name it that. I almost feel like there should be a book called the “Cats of Green Gables” that describes and pictures the different interesting cats that are in the series.

Favorite Quotes:
“Gilbert darling, don't let's ever be afraid of things. It's such dreadful slavery. Let's be daring and adventurous and expectant. Let's dance to meet life and all it can bring to us, even if it brings scads of trouble and typhoid and twins!" (Anne to Gilbert)”
“Isn't it queer that the things we writhe over at night are seldom wicked things? Just humiliating ones.”

“It was really dreadful to be so different from other people…and yet rather wonderful, too, as if you were a being strayed from another star.”
“Nothing worthwhile is every easy come by.”

Overall, Anne of Windy Poplars is an interesting part of the series that fills in the three-year gap with Anne’s doings and interesting stories, but it is not as strong a novel as the previous three books. That being said, even a not as strong LM Montgomery book is still a very enjoyable experience, and I loved listening to this audiobook.

Sweet, enchanting, and a bit random.Told mostly in letters from Anne to her fiancé, Gilbert Blythe, Anne of Windy Poplars bounces around between characters within the town of Summerside, and you never know where the story will go next. Anne takes on a principal job in Summerside, and boards at the home called “Windy Poplars” that is situated on Spook’s Lane. And of course, as soon as Anne hears what the home is called, she wants to live there. I don’t blame her! It sounds deliciously picturesque, and there’s also an old graveyard nearby as well to wander around in. Windy Poplars belongs to the widows, Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty, and their live-in help, Rebecca Dew. All three of these characters were delightful, and I hope they appear again in future installments of the series! I just had to laugh when they were each using buttermilk on their face and hiding the fact so the others didn’t notice. And there is also a persnickety cat, named Dusty Miller, who was hilarious to read about as well, especially because Rebecca Dew constantly has to clean up after the cat. Too funny! Besides the stories of the widows and Rebecca Dew, there is the neighbor girl Elizabeth Grayson, who has a sad story in that she is constantly looking for “Tomorrow”. Left by her father to be raised by her grandmother, she is sheltered and unloved, and lives in a world of make-believe. There is the Pringle family, who dislikes Anne Shirley, and goes to great lengths to make her leave the school, and also Katherine Brooke, a cranky vice principal that Anne tries to befriend. My favorites were the love story of Nora and Jim, and also Miss Minerva Tomgallon who lives all alone in a big mansion and has many wild tales to tell of her family. My favorite scene was the dinner scene with Cyrus Taylor. I won’t say anything else about that scene, for spoilers, but it was hilarious and laugh-out-loud! Not a whole lot of memorable plot happens in this book, but I was okay with that. I took this book to be more of a ramble through Anne Shirley’s world, and I’m always pleased to get back to a simpler, kinder time, where people have the time to look outside and appreciate nature.
Bottom Line: An enchanting visit to the world of Anne Shirley.

I love the Anne of Green Gables series so much, that I feel terrible knocking a star off this review. So let's get the negative out of the way first, and then I'll perform the gushing this book truly deserves.

The negative = the pacing. This book is a little bit different from the three previous Anne books in that most of it consists of Anne's letters to Gilbert. In that vein, the pacing is mostly composed of short stories about Anne's adventures in Summerside, the town in which she is serving as a high school principal for three years while her fiance becomes a doctor. It's not that I didn't enjoy each of the vignettes about the characters Anne meets (and usually reforms), but overall it made the book feel a bit more choppy and slow then the previous books. Thus, only four stars instead of five.

The positive = just about everything else. Lucy Maud Montgomery has a talent for making happy endings compelling to me. She also has a talent for making me cry happy tears when beloved characters get their dearest wishes even when such endings are completely cliche and fairly unbelievable. What else can I say? Following Anne Shirley on her journey always makes me happy, always makes me want to write and read poetry, always makes sunsets more crimson and stars more twinkly bright. I find writing an objective critique of the story or writing style as impossible as it would be for me to hate a kitten. One just can't.

All of that being said, I did love the first three Anne books more than Windy Poplars. Mostly because I find them more re-readable. But I'm sure the antics of Dusty Miller (That Cat!), Rebecca Dew, Minerva Tomgallon, Katherine Brook, and all the rest will stick with me for a long time...

*Anne of Windy Poplars* is the fourth book, chronologically, and the seventh book to be published, in L. M. Montgomery's *Anne Shirley* series. Montgomery, in the case of this book, and *Anne of Ingleside* went back after the series was over, and filled in gaps in the timeline of the books. This is an important distinction to remember, for the foreshadowing that appears in *Poplars*.

Anne has recently accepted Gilbert Blythe's marriage proposal, but must wait for three years before the two of them can be married, as Gilbert is studying to be a doctor for this time. Instead of living in Green Gables, Anne lives in close-by Summerside, where she accepts a three-year term as the principal of the local high school. Adventures ensue. Obviously. ;)

This book was quite a unique experience for me. I found myself enjoying the adult that Anne has become, but feeling a poignant sense of loss, as she sheds some more of her childlike nature. *She* is the adult, the authority figure, and must act accordingly. Because of this, the fun adventures she gets in are few and far between. Oh, she still does get into them, and they are absolute doozies! Not to mention hilarious. Yet they are more rare. This Anne is very different than the Anne of the first book, and even then the Anne of the third book. She has learned some of the hard lessons of the third book, and is better for it, but not cynical, I hope.

I think that this is why Montgomery chose to write the novel the way that she did. The novel alternates at random intervals between the third-person omniscient narrative, and an epistolary novel told by Anne in her letters to her beloved Gilbert. By reading the letters, we can see that even when Anne is the mature, collected, responsible principal, she is still the Anne that we all know and love. In a way, Anne confides her "real" self to us as she does to Gilbert. These letters made the story more cheerful, and gave me a closer look into the inner workings of Anne's mind.

*Poplars* is not without some melancholy sentiments. For all of the good that she does to and for those around her, changing lives for the better in beautiful, heartwarming ways, there is darkness ahead. It lies just around the corner, like some foreboding phenomena from an Edgar Allen Poe novel. In fact, I felt sad enough to shed a tear or two when I read Anne's thoughts on war, and how she is relieved that it will *never* again come to Canada. Those who have read the entire series, or reviews of the series, know what I read in reviews, that war does come to Canada. Like dark spectre, it stretches out and hurts Anne and Gilbert in a terrible way in their future.

This book is almost the final step in the process of Anne growing up and maturing into a young woman. She will embark on many tragedies and triumphs. She *will* emerge triumphant, and the future beckons to her. Both good and ill await.

Despite the sadness in the book, I extremely enjoyed this necessary chronicle in the life of Anne Shirley. I prefer books that have some value for imparting truths to the reader, and this one certainly does that. We are all like Anne in a way. We all must grow up at some point. The future is uncertain and intimidating, but we must take that first step into it. Anne Shirley does this cheerfully, and with faith in God and the affection of her loved ones. May we do the same. This book was my second-favorite after *Green Gables*, and I highly recommend this fun, engaging, and poignant portrait of a remarkable young lady taking the last steps into womanhood.

My memory of Anne of Windy Poplars is.. non-existent. It's been so long since I've read the books and I see the PBS movies (which are wonderful in their own right) once or twice throughout the year, so it's easy to forget that Anne of Avonlea (the movie edition) is a mix-match of several books in the series.

In Anne of Windy Poplars the dreaded Pringles make their appearance. And it's oh so much more than the movie shows. They are so dreadful, each and every one of them, but everything else is an absolute delight. Windy Poplars, Rebecca Dew, Little Elizabeth and most of all - a character we rarely get to see in the book, Gilbert Blythe.

Wait, how can Gilbert be so wonderful? He's hardly in the book! I'll tell you why - because this book shows the reader just how beautiful love letters can be.

A good portion of Anne of Windy Poplars is composed of Anne's letters to "her dearest of dears" and they are so tender and sweet and filled with so much news and juicy tidbits and sweetness (with just the right amount of "pages omitted") that it set the romantic in me a-fluttering. Anne is learning how to be in love, something we see all too rarely in girls literature today. She has to be patient, to wait to make a life with the one her heart has chosen, but she does it so sweetly it's impossible not to feel the excitement. Romance doesn't need to be rushed. One doesn't need to spend all of ones time before the wedding crushed up against his or her chosen. Anne learns that absence sweetens the deal and her dreams grow because of it. And, in the process, sets aside a beautiful history to share with her own children.

Today we write emails and tweet to one another and love letters such as those in this book are a thing of the past. But they don't have to be - and if you need inspiration, pick up this book.

Anne of The Island was AMAZING! One of the best in the series! This book was a brilliant read and I LOVED IT SO MUCH! Although in the last books my favourite place was Green Gables, in this book it would HAVE to be Patty's Place, although the name in my opinion could be better. Anne goes through a lot of 'beaux' as she and the other characters would say. Gilbert shows his feelings for Anne but she rejects him the first time just like she did to Jane Andrews' brother, Charlie Sloane and Roy Gardner.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH I CAN'T SAY JUST HOW MUCH I LOVED IT. Get this book. It is worth it... DEFINITELY.
I would recommend it to ANYONE who read the last two books and liked it. You will LOVE this book as much as I will.

Although Anne of Windy Poplars is the fourth book chronologically in the Anne of Green Gables series, it was actually the seventh book L.M. Montgomery wrote for the series. Anne of Windy Poplars is an epistolary novel, telling the story of the years between the time Anne Shirley graduated from college and the time she finally marries Gilbert Blythe. During this time Anne is living at Windy Poplars with two elderly widows, and working as the principal of Summerside High School. The letters that make up the bulk of the novel are from Anne to her fiancé.

Anne of Windy Poplars almost surpasses Anne of Green Gables for me. Through Anne's writing, Montgomery really has a chance to illustrate just what a special young woman Anne is. She is a delightful character to read, intelligent and witty with real gumption. Even in the face of overwhelming negativity Anne refuses to back down. She is determined to persevere against all odds, and in the end manages to change every life she touches. This is Anne as I will always think of her - a spirited woman whose heart bursts with love and poetry.

As always, Montgomery seems to cast an even more eccentric set of characters in Anne of Windy Poplars. She has such a way with creating characters that seem to leap off the page. From Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty at Windy Poplars, to characters like Jen Pringle (and the whole Pringle clan,) Katherine Brooke, Pauline Gibson, and Cousin Ernestine - Montgomery has taken great care to invent highly readable and believable people to live in Anne's world. These are people full of faults but with a great capacity for growth - they just need a little Anne Shirley in their lives!

Anne of Windy Poplars enhances Anne's story beautifully. By using her charming letters to Gilbert, the reader gets to see things through Anne's own eyes. Anne is a gifted writer, as is L.M. Montgomery, obviously. This series of books offers the reader a lyrical look into the life of one of literature's most entertaining heroines. I highly recommend reading it straight through!

I thought I would have much more difficulties going trough this book that covers the three year before Anne's marriage, but I was wrong, because even without Gilbert, Anna's stories are always funny and entertaining. Looking forward to read the next one anyway ;)

Pensavo che mi sarebbe pesato leggere questo libro che copre i tre anni di fidanzamento di Anna, ma mi sbagliavo, perché anche senza Gilbert le storie della nostra eroina sono sempre molto divertenti. Comunque non vedo l'ora di leggere il prossimo ;)

Haven't finished this book yet but I was so touched by the happenings in one chapter - one page - in Windy Poplars that I thought I'd say something.

Anne has somehow persuaded the sarcastic and reclusive schoolteacher Katherine Brooks, who literally hates Anne for essentially what she is, to come with her on Christmas break to Green Gables. Anne somehow brings Katherine out of her shell and changes her life. It is some great reading to find out how Anne befriends this very difficult and hateful lady. There are 2 paragraphs spoken by Katherine to Anne expressing her feelings toward Anne which are a high point in these Anne books -

Katherine thought Anne, because of her demeanor and education, came from an affluent family and had everything given to her. Katherine's parents died when she was 7 and she had to work and struggle for everything. Ann was liked by everyone and lit up the room by just walking in. But Katherine was a sarcastic recluse who shut out people and joy from her life.

She confessed to Anne that "No one wanted me" as a child. Anne's response is short - you can just imagine her sad emotions when she heard this from Katherine as she remembered her difficult orphan years.

She told K. "in a few sentences" of her childhood - Katherine said she had no idea but if she had known she would not have treated her like she had. So they become very close and this beguiling heroin has touched another life for the better.

This book was really good. In this book Anne is away teaching at school for three years in a different town! I really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't like was no Gilbert in this book because he was away in Medical school for 3 years. Now he's done Anne will get married to Gilbert in the next book.

I first read the "Anne" series when I was a child and have read them several times since and thoroughly enjoyed them every time, reading them most recently at the age of 41, a couple of months back. They always make me laugh and cry as much as they did the first time I read them, possibly even more so now, because I can now relate to a lot of the experiences she has as she grows up into a woman and mother.

Windy Willows is my least favourite Anne book, because it is much slower paced than the others and the other characters, such as Gilbert and Marilla don't play a big part, but it is still a great book and a must-read as part of the Anne series....

Many readers are aware of the 6 original Anne books by Lucy Maud Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Willows, Anne's House of Dreams and Anne of Ingleside (all beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyable books), but there are two further books by Lucy Maud, which may or may not be in print now, called Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Inglside. These final two books in the series tell more of Anne's story through the exploits of her 6 children and are well worth a read - both made me laugh and cry in equal measure.

All of these books leave you wanting more from Anne and I believe that is the mark of a truly fabulous book! :)

I've read Anne books 1-5 and still have three to go (I've also read "Chronicles of Avonlea," "Further Chronicles of Avonlea," "The Road to Yesterday," "The Story Girl" and "The Golden Road"), and "Anne of Windy Poplars" is my absolute favourite next to "Anne of Green Gables." "Windy Poplars" captures Anne's vivid prose, wit and imagination perfectly, and the numerous side plots ensure that the novel never becomes dull. Much of the story is written as letters from Anne to Gilbert in which she describes her new life in Summerside, her room at Windy Poplars, the household intrigues between Aunts Chatty and Kathy and the tomatolike housekeeper Rebecca Dew, and the schemes of the spiteful Pringle clan in attempting to bring Anne down. At first the chapters upon chapters of letters seemed daunting, but I gradually grew to love Anne's narrations ("In passing, isn't "dusk" a lovely word?" Anne writes to Gilbert. "It sounds so velvety and shadowy and...and...dusky. In daylight I belong to the world....in the night to sleep and eternity. But in the dark I'm free from both and belong only to myself..and to you." Although some are love letters, Montgomery tastefully omits the romantic portions.
Although I found some of the other Anne novels to be a bit taxing (among them Anne's House of Dreams"), "Windy Poplars" is an absolute delight from start to finish and features an extremely memorable cast of characters: Minerva Tomgallon, Jen Pringle, Rebecca Dew, Nora Nelson, Katherine Brooke, Pauline Gibson, Little Elizabeth, Cousin Ernestine, Gerald and Geraldine among them. Some of the adventures are too conveniently arranged, but overall the book feels natural and reads well. Anne's constant adventures, musings and near-disasters are sure to entertain kindred spirits around the globe. Somehow "Anne of Windy Poplars" seemed to paint a portrait of the real Anne: in the prime of her youth, radiant, mischievous, in love, kindred spirit and poet, eager to savour all the experiences placed before her. Anne is older and wiser, but still a carefree girl at heart. In the later novels I could never reconcile Anne as married with children and abandoning her writings. This is the real Anne.

"Anne of Windy Willows" by L.M. Montgomery

L.M. Montgomery continues a fine story of Anne, the freckled red-haired orphan on the edge of womanhood, sustained by her romance with Gilbert. In this book, even more than ever, Anne shows her cheerful side and finds a way around the difficulties, bravely facing "another bend in the road" until she makes many new friends out of enemies. Anne's personality sparkled through every page - the kind, helpful and romantic Anne that always manages to see the best in people.

The book is full of great scenery and unforgettable characters. For me, Little Elizabeth and Rebecca Dew were the most enchanting. Little Elizabeth reminded me of Anne a lot with her appreciation for nature and beauty, her believing in the better Tomorrow. Rebecca Dew seemed like a tough "tomato" on the outside, but inside she was a "kindred spirit".

"Anne of Windy Willows" is a true classic that is not to be forgotten with time.

"Anne of Windy Willows" is a sequel to "Anne of Green Gables", "Anne of Avonlea" and "Anne of the Island". In "Anne's House of Dreams" and "Anne of Ingleside" admirers of Anne can follow her into her marriage with Gilbert.

Julia Shpak
Author of "Power of Plentiful Wisdom". Available on the store.
For more reviews visit my blog "Julia's Library" at: ForwardQuoteDOTcom

As previous reviewers have already outlined the plot of this continuation of the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES saga (#4 of over 6 books,) I will confine my comments to list the literary characteristics of this beloved, Canadian authoress, whose delightful female protagonist, orphaned Anne Shirley, has charmed readers for a century.

Literary References:

AUTHORS/POETS:
Tennyson "Enoch Arden," "Bugle Song"
Milton
Poe "The Raven"
Dickens
Pauline Johnson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The BIBLE: "Balm in Gilead"

TITLES: At the Back of the North Wind

CHARACTERS: Becky Sharpe (Vanity Fair).

An underlying current of Canadian patriotism, particularly, Canada's remaining at Peace.

A few gentle barbs at Americans and the USA

Style: combination of epistolary (Anne writes in the first person to Gilbert) alternating with the more common 3rd person (omniscient narrator). Slightly confusing.

Old friends who are shadowy characters in this novel: Gilbert, Marilla Cuthbert
Old friends who appear briefly: Davy and Dora, Miss Rachel Lynde

Overpopulated with female characters, most of whom represent extreme personality types.

References to then-current, Turn-of-Century items, especially articles of clothing.

Themes in this novel: "Everyone needs a companion." "It's nice to be needed."

The Green Gables Cure (formerly, the Prince Edward Island cure) for Katherine and little Elizabeth

This is the last novel in which the verbally-descrpitve, irrepressible Anne is still single, but she has many other adventures as a married woman, as do her offspring.

ANNE during these three years of her engagement to/separation from Gilbert:
--still the matchmaker, though somewhat tamed by a bad experience
--still writes poetic or romanticized references to places dear to her
--still mildly concerned about her red (auburn) hair and nose freckles

Anne's accomplishments:
--routs an entire snobby clan of Pringles without malicious effort.
--wins over sourpuss schoolmarm, Catherine Brook
--reunites an unloved child with her distant father
--cares for animals/ praises their value as companions
--learns a lesson re encouraging elopement
--plans her House of Dreams, by letter at least
--encourages a joy-starved child to dream and hope
--initiates a drama club at the high school where she is principal
--endures three years of waiting for her adored Gilbert
--wants her pupils to love her

A typical LLM charmer-- with its endearing qualities of human nature and gentle humor at the foibles of the human heart. For girls 16 and up, and women who remain girls at all ages.

Anne of Windy Poplars is the fourth installment of the Anne of Green Gables series. It is mostly set in a city called Summerside. Anne has left Redmond College to begin a job as principal of Summerside High School. She ends up staying in a place called "Windy Poplars" with two widows and an old maid. Throughout the story Anne has to face winning the affections of the Pringle family, solving marital problems between her friends, and helping a little girl named Elizabeth find laughter in the world.
As with the rest of the series, this book is a thrilling read, with sorrows and triumphs. I feel that this book is missing something that the others have (it is probably the absence of Gilbert, who rarely shows up in this book), but it is fun and exciting all the same.
I would recommend this book to all fans of Anne of Green Gables, as well as to those who are simply looking for laughter and magic in their life.

Anne, even though supposedly a grown up, still manages to get herself into mishaps and adventures - the snobbish Pringle family and an unsympathetic vice principa this time - and still manages to get out of it by her natural charm.
Anne, as a graduate of Princeton is now a principal of a small school. She has to deal with a snobbish local family, and an uncooperative and unfriendly vice principal. In both cases, she manages to unravel a sad story in the past and uses it to get things going her way.
This also applies to the little girl who lives next door to Anne - Elizabeth, or Lizzie, or many other variations on the name, depending on the little girl's mood. This story has a happy ending, too, thanks to Anne - of course!
The characters of the two widows - Anne's landlors - and their house keeper, Rebbeca Dew - are very amusing, and are very similar to other "funny" characters in earlier or latter books in the series - Susan and Rebbeca are a lot alike...

This book focuses on Anne's time at a house she is boarding at called Windy Poplars with a few widows while she teaches at a school for three years while Gilbert Blythe is in medical school. It is cut into three years' time and is a combination of her letters to her darling fiance' Gilbert and her actual adventures in dealing with the people there (mainly the Pringles). It is filled with various love stories and events that Anne has a hand in, because she can't resist trying to do right for people. It was a really fun book! If you ever watched the TV mini-series, Anne of Avonlea was mainly based off of this book (but it is hardly like it at the same time). Definitely fun!

I've read the entire "Anne" saga more times than I can count, at least once a year since I was 10 (that's a minimum of 15 times). This book is the "odd one out" in the series but is also one of my favorites.
Written mostly as letters from Anne to her now fiancé Gilbert while he is studying medicine and she is working as the Principal of Summerside High School, this book is much more personal than the other Anne books in my opinion.We get to see Anne as she finally grows into herself and is happy with her life and its direction.
Anne's struggles to win over the somewhat eccentric townsfolk of Summerside are alternately hilarious and touching. If you've ever been on the outside looking in, you will truly appreciate her trials.
As usual L. M. Montgomery's writing is absolutely wonderfully descriptive and very true to the era she depicts. The little "homey" touches in her writing endear her work to me more and more as I get older.
If you love Anne, please read this book and get to know Miss Shirley in a more personal way than many of the other books allow. The basic L.M. Montgomery ingredients are there as well as the usual heaping dose of charm.

I love Anne although this particular novel is written in the form of letters to Gilbert and I didn't like it as much as the others. I also felt like it had less storyline and just more memoir-like writing. Anne is delicious as always, but not my favorite installment in the series.

"Anne of Windy Willows" is the English title of "Anne of Windy Poplars," because apparently the concept of a Canadian tree was too much for their English brethren (remember, these are the same people who changed Harry Potter's philosopher's stone into a sorcerer's stone). This is definitely the most atypical book in the Anne of Green Gables Series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Although it is sold as the fourth book in the series it was actually one of the last one written, originally being published in 1936. Anne Shirley, B.A., has taken a job away from Green Gables and as Principal of Summerside High School for three years while she waits for Gilbert Blythe to finish medical school so they can get married. So Gilbert is only present when Anne writes to him as Redmond College in Kingsport (although Montgomery tactfully omits the romantic part of her letters). However, despite these oddities, "Anne of Windy Willows" has sort of become the second most significant novel in the series since it provides the foundation for both sequels to the "Anne of Green Gables" movies, both the 1940's "Anne of Windy Poplars" (with Anne Shirley playing Anne Shirley) and the 1987 "Anne of Avonlea." The latter purports to cover the second through fourth volumes in the Green Gables series, but clearly it is this one that readers will most recognize when they watch.
Anne's adventures as a teacher in a town where the haughty Pringle family aligns against her is but one of the three major plotlines in the novel. There are also Anne's experiences at Windy Poplars on Spook's Lane, where the figure of Rebecca Drew figures largely in Anne's correspondence, along with Aunt Chatty and Aunt Kate. Then there is the mystery of little Elizabeth Grayson, who has been looking forward to Tomorrow as long as she can remember. You see, her mother died when she was born and her heartbroken father has gone off in search of Yesterday. Of course, Anne Shirley is no more likely to put up with something so wrong any more than she would Jen Pringle's fake illness or Katharine Brooke's sourness. There are also visits home each summer to visit Marilla and Mrs. Rachel back at Green Gables. Consequently, "Anne of Windy Willows" is not just an afterthought from Montgomery, who manages to make it fit into the grand scheme of Anne Shirley's life. But let's face the truth here: Anne Shirley as a mother is not the "real" Anne, so going back and reading about her continued misadventures before she married Gilbert is just fine

Like the rest of the series, I enjoyed this one as much as the first. The author changes be technique a bit here and uses a lot of Anne's letter, as well as others. On the other hand, the author sticks to her wonderful style, syntax and story line. Again, as with other books by L.M. Montgomery, the reader must remember when they were written. My wife and I have been reading these books for years now and they have lost none of their charm. (As a side note, being a very old man, one might think the romantic aspects of the books might not appeal to me...wrong! I too, like a couple of the other reviewers was just a wee bit put off by Montgomery's excluding mush the the romantic lines in Anne's letters). Recommend this one highly.

This is a wonderful book about a young woman and her experiences during her last three years at Redmond College. Much of the book is filled with letters to her future husband, Gilbert Blythe. One of her greatest challenges at Redmond is to overcome the Pringles, who are extremely cautious about making friends with anyone besides their own kind, and much of the Pringle clan isn't very nice to her. But Anne finds a way to make friends with them. They are very nice to her from then on. She also discovers that it doesn't always pay to meddle in other people's romances. Anne of Windy Poplars is a wonderfully humorous book.

I have not finished this book yet, but I agree with a previous review: Anne's letters were nice and funny, and helped to tell the story, but really, did L.M. Montgomery HAVE to cut out the romantic parts? I was getty really interested in Anne and Gilbert at the end of the previous book, but now we can't see how they turn out (or whatever). It would be so romantic. Another thing: I feel that I am in the deepest depths of despair because Gilbert DOES NOT SAY A SINGLE WORD IN THE ENTIRE BOOK! There were plenty of oppurtunities for him to say at least "hi." Ugh!

Other than that it's a great book and I recomend it along with the entire series. (I haven't gotten past this book yet, but I'm sure I'll enjoy the rest!)

"What would you think of a man..." Can anyone who has read "Anne of Windy Poplars" possibly forget the dinner scene at Trix's house? L.M. Montgomery peppers this novel with dozens of characters and situations like that one. Fifth in the "Anne" series, this book is packed with entertaining personalities like Aunts Chatty and Kate, Hazel, Trix, Katherine Brooke (spelled with a K!), Miss Valentine, Jen Pringle (and all her clan), and let's not forget Rebecca Dew. This book will lift your spirits high and banish even the deepest blues. The perfect cure for a depressing day.

Anne has her same spunk and personality, but it does not come through often in this book, as most of it is narrated through Anne's letters to Gilbert. There are a few interesting new characters, and Anne's trials as a high school teacher are amusing and touching. This book doesn't fit well with it's 'sequel', "Anne's House of Dreams'" because it was actually squeezed into the series post "Anne of the Island" and "House of Dreams". The unaware reader will wonder why the "Windy Poplars" characters and events are never in or never referred to in the rest of the series. Still a good read, just not the best.

Finally! This book is now available for Kindle! This is a really nice book and if you are an 'Anne fan' you'll love it. This puts Anne in an entirely different setting away from her friends and family and she makes new life long friends. Also the love letters between Anne and Gilbert are very nice to read.

When I first read this book, I didn't really like it that much. At the time I was too excited about reading Anne of the Island where Anne and Gilbert kissed. I wanted more of them! (Which can be found in Anne's House of Dreams.) But I have been rereading this and have found that I really like it! It is wonderfully written (after all, it is by L.M. Montgomery!) and it very humorous! If you are an Anne fan, this is a must and might be better the second time you read it. Enjoy!

Fourth in the Anne of Green Gables series, and the most tedious. Montgomery seemed so intent on packing it full of interesting characters that she largely obscures the plot. This may have something to do with the fact that this book was written much later most of the books in this series; Anne of Green Gables (1) was published in 1908, followed by Anne of Avonlea (2) in 1909, Anne of the Island (3) in 1915, and Anne's House of Dreams (5) in 1917. This one (4) wasn't published until 1936. My guess is that Montgomery felt pressured by the pre-existing prequels and sequels. This is worth reading if you're reading the whole series, but it certainly isn't up to their standards.

It was different than the other Anne books in that the story was told mostly in letters to Gilbert, her finance'. The characters are lovely and rich and interesting. Anne is wise for her age and she seems to know always the way to handle each situation so as to get the best outcome. Considering her early life in an orphanage, there is no bitterness and a wholehearted love for life.

when I first read this book, when I was around 11 years old, I hated it. To me, the plot seemed so confusing, with all the new characters appearing in every chapter. However, I found a very subtle message, when Anne turns Katherine Brooke's life around. This book helped me see that maintaining a positive attitude on life is crucial to becoming more like Anne--an ideal that I'm sure that many have strove for throughout the years.

Anne of Windy poplars is the most boring of the whole series.I don't like the way Montgomery wrote the book in the form of letters.What is more,the writer seldom mentionedthe happenings in Avonlea which i always want to know about.The characters in this book are all new except Gilbert.I soon found this book barely attractive and stopped reading after fininshing half of it.

The first three installments in the "Anne of Green Gables" series have to some of the most wonderful, enchanting, all-around greatest books I have ever read. L.M Montgomery has done an absolutely splendid job bringing to life the red-headed girl with a fiery temper to match, but the farther I progressed into the series, the more disappointed I became. For me, the series became monotonous and depressing; the war kills Anne's beloved child, and I cannot help but despair in the numerous times Anne is mentioned with streaks of gray hair, and wrinkles in her face. This is not the lively girl of Avonlea I have come to so dearly love. So, my advice to you would be to read the first three books, and the first part of the 5th, for the end of the series should not overshadow its timeless, an

I normally do not write reviews, for fear of repeating what others have already said. In this case, however, I am making an exception. I am an avid L. M. Montgomery fan, and I have read every book in the Anne series at least five times each. "Anne of Windy Poplars" has come to be one of my favorites in the series by far. I love the new and fresh characters that are just as endearing as those in Avonlea, and the situations that Anne finds herself in are particularly interesting and relevent. I found more in this book that was challenging and thought-provoking for me than I was expecting, and every time I read it I laugh and learn just a little bit more. It is a book that improves with every reading, which makes it in every sense of the word a true classic.

Anne of Windy Poplars is a necessary plot point in Anne's little saga. You couldn't have her just stay in Green Gables. By the fourth book you need a change of scene. This pits Anne against something she's never had to deal with before, the animosity of a whole town. She overcomes beautifully.

If you like Anne of Green Gables in any way, you have to read the other books in order to see her grow up. She stills continue to get in trouble, romance with Gilbert continues, just about anything that can happen, happens. These books fulfill everything that you could ever want out of a book.

The beginning is kind of boring, and so I was thinking if I should stop reading this book. But I didn't and kept going on. It got more interesting. Anne meets many new people, and faces many adventures. It's a great book after all. It feels like you are really there with her.

This book was my least favorite out of the four that I have read. It mostly contained letters from Anne to her future husband Gilbert Blythe. It also takes you through three years of her life living in Windy Poplars. Her one challenge she had was trying to deal with "The royal family" the Pringles. Although you might need to read this book to understand the next, I wouldnt recomend reading it.

Loved the book. Very pleasant reading. It is a good book to pick up when you want to escape from the stress of todays world It is a good example to learn how to handle the adversersties of daily iving.

This book is one of my favorites of the series. I love the way Anne is handling things in it. Most of all I like the other characters. I thought the whole town was great and Rebecca and the Aunts in particular A must for Anne fans. I saw Anne at her best.

Out of the entire 8 book series this is definately my least favorite book. After the 3rd book where you here so much about Gilbert you would think that the 4th book would talk more about him. Instead the entire book is made up of letters from her to him telling about her life with out mentioning really any romance between them and what is going on in his life. It has some cute stories in it and it shows Anne for the first time as an outcast that isn't liked, which is a very new thing for her, but i just could not get into this book. It is just a very uninteresting and unimportant book in the whole plot line of the series. It seems to just interupt the flow of the story line through the books. Anne of Windy Poplars is a book that could just be skipped if you are following the life of Anne.

Anne of Windy Poplars is worth reading. It is not quite as memorable as the other Anne books, but it is still very good. It lacks the sense of action the other books have. However, the characters are lovevable and beleivable. It is a good book to curl up with on a rainy day.

It may be the most boring book of the series, but it is still a wonderful book! The Pringles were not the most exciting part either. They werent the only good part, only one of the MANY good parts! I loved it from start to finish, it may not of had as much flair as the others but it was certainly a great book!

As much as I adore the Anne of Green Gables series this newer print edition of volume four was not the pleasant, can't put it down read that I've come to expect with the L.M. Montgomery novels. I have been collecting the books in all prints, shapes, sizes etc. for many years. While this novel adds to the collection it did nothing for me in the way of beloved Anne entertainment. Many passages had been omitted, this left me a bit confused and not ready to move on from one chapter to the next do to feeling as though I had missed something. You can certainly give this read a shot, but it isn't near as good and the first three novels in the Anne of Green Gables series.

I agree with "veggiechiliqueen"! Anne of Windy Poplars is one of the Best! IF you love Anne Shirley, you will love this book. I enjoy Anne for herself and "who she is" the most. Gilbert is just a side attraction, A GOOD side, but just a side. This is one of my favorites because of how much good she does and the special way she does it!

This book is definately better than most other fiction books I've read, but its one of my least favorite in the Anne series. The Gilbert-Anne romance and Avonlea truly made the first books magical, that was slightly lacking here. I will read it again and again, but only after all the other books.

This book is definately better than most other fiction books I've read, but its one of my least favorite in the Anne series. The Gilbert-Anne romance and Avonlea truly made the first books magical, that was slightly lacking here. I will read it again and again, but only after all the other books.

This review is for the kindle version only.

$6 for a kindle version of a book in the public domain is highway robbery!

This book is available in a webpage (.html) via project Gutenberg (google for it) You can convert it to epub format using an online tool, and move the .epub version to your device of choice. Cost: $0.