• Rilla of Ingleside (1920) •

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Rilla of Ingleside is the last book in the Anne series. In this novel, Anne's children are all grown up, except for the pretty, high-spirited Rilla. No one can resist her bright hazel eyes, dazzling smile and cute dimple on her upper lip. Rilla, almost fifteen in 1914, can't conceivably infer of anything besides going to her very first dance at the Four Winds lighthouse (and possibly with the handsome Kenneth Ford)!
Just as the fairytale begins to unfold, disaster strikes. Canada enters the Great War-'the war that was to end all wars'-and men across the nation jump at the chance to fight for their beloved country. To her surprise, her eldest brother Jem enlists, and so does Kenneth. As her responsibilities amalgamate, her hopes of living a carefree lifestyle are slowly taken away. Adding to her list of tasks, the war baby, Jims, whom she brings home in a soup tureen, is impossible for Susan to care for. Thus, the work is left to Rilla. Rilla, like many other women during the war, sends off basic needs to the boys at the front, and also to those who are injured. As the war rages forth, Walter joins the war effort, leaving Rilla to console herself by exchanging letters with Kenneth.
Rilla and her experiences are magnificent examples of what Canadian women dealt during World War One. L. M . Montgomery, utilising her first-hand experience during the Great War, finishes the book off in a tremendous manner.

Quote: It was a warm, golden-cloudy, lovable afternoon.

Last updated: January 1, 2009
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