The Story of Leslie Moore (abridged)

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful young lady named Leslie Moore who lived in Four Winds Harbor. She had lived a tragic life. When she was young, she witnessed her younger brother being run over by a hay cart. She was devastated, but her father was more so. He couldn't bear the thought of living without his precious little boy, so he killed himself. Leslie witnessed that tragedy as well. The next few years, she lived with her mother, who was a dear soul to her, if but a little . ..unwise. You see, the mother, Mrs. Lewis, was in deep debt. Well, so they lived. Leslie, as I said previously, was very beautiful. So much so, that she attracted the eyes of every young man in the harbor. Including Dick Moore, a pompous, proud man who was somewhat of a drinker. Unfortunately, the mortgage on the Lewis farm was in name of Dick Moore's family. He proposed an idea; he would lift the mortgage and pay all other debts of the Lewis family if Leslie agreed to marry him. Leslie wasn't really thrilled with the plan, for she did not (nor would ever it seemed) love Dick Moore. However, to please and relieve her mother's many concerns, she accepted. Leslie lived unhappily with Dick. Shortly after they were married, Mrs. Lewis caught typhoid fever and died, leaving Leslie alone with her bitter, drunk, and abusive husband. Shortly afterward, Dick decides to sail off to sea for some adventure. His ship never returns, and he his thought to be lost at sea. But, a few years later, the old sea captain of the Four Winds harbor happened upon the location of the lost ship. He decided to look up Dick Moore, for old time's sake. Well, he found him .. .somewhat. Dick had suffered a many hard years' time there, with drunken brawls and some sort of physical accident that now caused him to be somewhat childish, forgetful and dependent on others. He seemed vacant and lost, yet it appeared to be Dick in all other senses. Captain Jim brought him back to Four Winds where Dick's poor wife, Leslie was destined to take care of this poor incapable child of a husband.

Okay, that's the beginning of what of my favorite parts of Anne's House of Dreams (#5 in the series). This is the first book of Anne and Gilbert's married life, and it covers a span of about 3 years. I can't really do the story justice without including a description of the other characters that play a role . .. Anne, Gilbert, Miss Cornelia Bryant, Captain Jim, and especially Owen Ford. I think of all the Anne books, this one was my favorite so far. There are fewer characters, but each one has his or her own distinct personality and life stories. Believe it or not, there is a happy ending to Leslie's story, but it's something certainly unexpected. Would you like to know? Should I tell more? Maybe you should just read the book . . .or if you can't get through all the descriptiveness of L.M. Montgomery's writing, I can tell you what happens. But believe me, it doesn't do the story a bit of justice! I feel like I can't really disclose the end of Leslie's story without including the end of Captain Jim's life-story, or the adventures that befall Miss Cornelia and the Blythes. And you won't get a good sense of any character in the book unless you actually read it. So . . . .have a good read if you will! =)

Anne of Green Gables

Okay, everybody knows this one is a classic. If you're anything like me, the image that comes to your head is Canadian actress Megan Follows in the movie and her wonderful rendition of the spunky, stubborn, spirited, and very imaginative Anne Shirley. I read this book once upon a time in Junior High, but after seeing the movies again, I was motivated to read them again. I love it even more. Anne, for all her innocent mistakes and childish ways, and yes, even her big flowery words, has a wonderful way of squeezing her way into your affection. Just as her red hair distinguishes her and sets her apart physically, her excitement for life and learning bring a light to the lives of everyone around her. In reading the book, I also got a good kick out of Mrs. Rachel Lynde, the fat neighbor and gossip. She is once described as so fat that she waddles away instead of slipping away. I also loved Miss Stacy, the school teacher, and Mrs. Allan, the preacher's wife for their sensible wisdom and love they show not only to Anne, but to all the young folk. There's also the boy, Gilbert Blythe, with whom Anne is finally friends with by the end after 3 years of holding a grudge against him for calling her "Carrots." You can't help but feel the love of Matthew Cuthbert, who is so unbearably shy around women and always has a wonderful sweet way to "put his oar" into Marilla's way of raising the girl. And you even love the strict, severe, but endearing Marilla Cuthbert who, thanks to the young spirited Anne-girl, mellows out, and learns .. .little by little . .to love. Anne of Green Gables helps you to love people better, regardless of their flaws. And you learn from Anne that even if you feel like you can't love them, you can always imagine that you do. After all, "kindred spirits are not so scarce as you used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."