#AnneReadAlong2017 : Rilla of Ingleside

January 25, 2018
Rilla of Ingleside Book Cover Rilla of Ingleside
Anne of Green Gables, #8
L. M. Montgomery
Historical Fiction
Bantam Books
February 25th, 1997
eBook
277
Owned
1921

Anne's children were almost grown up, except for pretty, high-spirited Rilla. No one could resist her bright hazel eyes and dazzling smile. Rilla, almost fifteen, can't think any further ahead than going to her very first dance at the Four Winds lighthouse and getting her first kiss from handsome Kenneth Ford. But undreamed-of challenges await the irrepressible Rilla when the world of Ingleside becomes endangered by a far-off war. Her brothers go off to fight, and Rilla brings home an orphaned newborn in a soup tureen. She is swept into a drama that tests her courage and leaves her changed forever.

(via Goodreads)

Oh, Rilla-my-Rilla.

It’s so hard to think that #AnneReadAlong2017 is finally coming to an end! While I might be almost a month behind wrapping up this read along (oops! But, you know…. life), I am still sad to see it go. Sometimes, I wonder if I took my time finishing Rilla of Ingleside only so it wouldn’t end? Jane @ Greenish Bookshelf and I have loved hosting! So much so that we are having a giveaway to wrap everything up! There is still one more day before it wraps up. Enter now!

 

The final book in the Anne of Green Gables series focuses on the lives of the Blythe children, most specifically Rilla Blythe, as the world is grappling with World War I. Poor Rilla Blythe is desperately in love with the boy next door and excited for her coming out which is occurring soon. But all her plans crash down around her as the Great War takes over as the focus of the entire world. Our tale bookends the war and we get to see a glimpse of how rural Maritime Canada’s homeland societies handled the onslaught of news from across the globe. I loved reading a World War 1 focused novel which focuses on what daily life was like for women.

“Well, that is all the notes and there is not much else in the paper of any importance. I never take much interest in foreign parts. Who’s this Archduke man who has been murdered?

“What does it matter to us?” asked Miss Cornelia, unaware of the hideous answer to her question, which destiny was even then preparing. “Someone is always murdering or being murdered in those Balkan States. It’s their normal condition and I don’t really think that our papers ought to publish such shocking things.”

I want to start with the animals. Montgomery has always had a wonderful way of writing animals as characters. I love how much personality she gives them all. Dog Monday’s exploits are some of the most heart-wrenching moments in the whole novel. His dedication, compassion, and the emotional connection he carries with the Blythe boys are devastating. Hyde is also a remarkable character– but based on how Hyde is depicted and how Bruce Meredith handles his kitten, plus what has happened with cats in earlier books… well, I sort of thing Montgomery doesn’t like cats. Regardless, if you are even remotely interested in the bonds animals form with their people, read Rilla of Ingleside.

Montgomery’s cast of characters is at their finest in Rilla of Ingleside. I appreciate that we are only introduced to a few meaningful new characters. Even they are not in the spotlight often, and all serve a specific purpose. While we have far too many characters to really spend quality time with them all, it was nice to explore our existing cast more deeply.

“When I wake up in the night and cannot go to sleep again,” remarked Susan, who was knitting and reading at the same time, “I pass the moment by torturing the Kaiser to death. Last night I fried him in boiling oil and a great comfort it was to me, remembering those Belgain babies.”

“We are told to love our enemies, Susan,” said the doctor solemnly.

“Yes, our enemies, but not King George’s enemies, doctor dear,” retorted Susan crushingly.

I adore the development Rilla experiences throughout this book. She is, honestly, a whiny self-centered 15-year-old child when the book begins. Focused only on how she looks, boys, and how others are perceiving her, and uninterested in her own education, Rilla will be the only Blythe child not to attend college. But as the events of the war unfold, Rilla takes on more and more responsibility. She grows by leaps and bounds, overcoming every challenge thrown at her (though not all of them with dignity), and despite the perceived notions the Glen inhabitants project on her.

I also find myself smitten with the relationships we witness blossoming between Rilla and Walter. This is unique for many reasons. This relationship allows Montgomery to provide a softer side to the horrors of war. Instead of wanting to rush off to the glories of battle, Walter fears to instigate death. The two of them confide in each other and grow in their shared secrets. As terrible as it is, Walter is the one who needed to die in this war. Others could have, for sure, but Walter was suffering PTSD before he even left the front. The world he would have returned to never would have been the same. Not for him, or those he loved, and it would have been horrible. I cried so hard for you, Walter. Forgive me for this honesty.

It is not death I fear – I told you that long ago. One can pay too high a price for mere life, little sister. There’s so much hideousness in this war – I’ve got to go and help wipe it out of the world. I’m going to fight for the beauty of my life, Rilla-my-Rilla – that is my duty. There may be a higher duty, perhaps – but that is mine.

And, well, Susan Baker “is a brick, and that you may tie to.”

The exploration of life on the homefront breathes new life into this series. While Montgomery is writing in the same style, with snippets and character sketches, the feel of the book is entirely different. I have never read fiction which explores what happened on the homefronts during the Great War. I cannot imagine how challenging it must have been to expect this war to end any day and have it drag on for years. The Canadian homefront called for bravery, patience, and self-sacrifice. The women constantly stitched sheets, “war socks”, and other items to send off to the Front. Being together as a family was key to your emotional survival. They needed to keep the faith for those with less. Plus, being published in 1921, the historical details are fresh, accurate and accessible. This is still a children’s story after all.

I’ve seen enough of wat to realize that we’ve got to make a world where wars can’t happen.

But Montgomery doesn’t hold back ALL the horrors of war (well, from a graphical depiction perspective, she does, and I am thankful for that). When the men come home, they are all changed in a notable way. The horrors of war have left their mark, physically and/or emotionally. This is something we should not be glossing over, and I am glad Montgomery addresses it, however indirectly.

What really makes Rilla of Ingleside special is the way Montgomery helps the reader connect to such a wide range of emotions. One of the great emotional lessons it taught me is that the soul can bear a lot more suffering than any of us usually think it can. This is hopeful; it helps me realize that we can live through horrible things and still find happiness again. We won’t be the same, our happiness might be burdened, but it will return. This book is sometimes so filled with emotion it is painful, and it often made my heart flutter hopelessly.

Nobody whom this war has touched will ever be happy again in quite the same way. But it will be a better happiness, I think, little sister — a happiness we’ve earned.

If you are thinking to yourself, “Wow. This book sounds fantastic! It’s a shame I’d have to read seven other books to get to this point…” Fret not! I feel like Rilla of Ingleside can certainly be read as a standalone novel. While you might not be as emotionally connected to the characters as someone who has read all the previous novels, I think you will still gain quite a bit from it and have your heartstrings appropriately tugged. What are you waiting for?

Are you participating in #AnneReadAlong2017? If so, post the link to your review below and I’ll add you to the list*! You can also join us on Twitter with the hashtag #AnneReadAlong2017. And don’t forget to enter the End of Anne giveaway before it closes!

*For those of you who have been participating thus far, I’ve already captured the links from your timely reviews. 😉 Thank you for being awesome!

Other Rilla of Ingleside Reviews

Jane @ Greenish Bookshelf

Melanie @ Grab the Lapels

Naomi @ Consumed by Ink

Laila @ Big Reading Life


What do you think?

  • Have you read Rilla of Ingleside? What do you think?
  • What book in the Anne of Green Gables series is your favorite?
  • What are your thoughts on the end of #AnneReadAlong2017?
  • What other books focusing on World War I would you recommend I read next?  Or books featuring uncanny bonds between pets and their people?

30 Comments

  • Krysta January 25, 2018 at 11:07 pm

    You finally got to Rilla! Yay!!

    I find this book really interesting both because it’s not common to see a novel that explores the Canadian homefront duriing WWI, but also because it gives a unique perspective on the war. I’m used to hearing WWI spoken of as a pointless war that no one really understands and that wasn’t really necessary. But Montgomery and her characters seem to find meaning in it–perhaps because they need to find meaning in it, in order to bear it.

    • Jackie B January 28, 2018 at 9:57 pm

      I did!!! I feel like it took me forever, but I couldn’t be happier with how this series ended. These novels start to feel more standalone by the end, but, wow. Rilla of Ingleside is so powerful!

      I haven’t read nearly enough WWI fiction– but the elements of Canadian homefront life are so realistic, this often felt like reading very simple non-fiction. There is often so much of an author’s experiences tied into a novel, I wouldn’t be surprised if Montgomery felt passionately about the purpose of this war. I look forward to reading her journals someday to find out more. I cannot imagine living so close to such a brutal war and not finding meaning. Without it, how would you go on knowing your children are putting their lives on the line? *shudder*

      • Krysta January 29, 2018 at 6:51 pm

        It does feel very educational for a novel! I’m sure I learned more about WWI here than I did in school….

        I haven’t read Montgomery’s journals but I’m sure they’re fascinating. I think she edited them before publication, though? (I mean, that’s understandable, I suppose, but offers so much to the imagination. What was so scandalous that it had to be expunged? :b)

  • hannah January 25, 2018 at 11:50 pm

    I’ve never read this, but now I’m definitely intrigued. I absolutely adored the first Anne of Green Gables books, and I can’t wait to follow the lives of her children. <3 I'm also excited to see how the author will weave WWI into the story, and how enormous of an impact it will have on the characters. (also, oooh! A giveaway! How fabulous!!)

    • Jackie B February 1, 2018 at 1:54 pm

      It’s a beautiful story! And it stands alone, too, so don’t feel like you need to cycle back through all the other Anne of Green Gables books in order to read this one. You might need a character refresh, but that is probably all. Which of the AoGG series books have you read in the past?

  • Grab the Lapels January 26, 2018 at 11:27 am

    I think it’s really the details that make this novel stand out in a way the other novels didn’t as much. Rilla and her inappropriate hat she just had to have. Carrying the baby home a in a soup pot. Lice in the trenches. The constant knitting. I love it all!

    • Jackie B January 28, 2018 at 7:44 pm

      Oh yes, Those details are pretty wonderful; particularly since I feel almost certain that Montgomery didn’t realize how important they would be to us. The idea of everyone trying to listen on the telephone line to see if they can get news first– that one really stuck with me. It’s amazing how technology has changed.

      Do you think Montgomery selected these details intentionally to capture the reader more?

      • Grab the Lapels January 28, 2018 at 8:16 pm

        I come from the school of thought that every writer makes every move intentionally–and bad writing shows when the writer doesn’t know how to make those moves or forget to do them intentionally.

        • Jackie B January 31, 2018 at 9:23 am

          That’s a really intriguing school of thought. Now I really want to read more of the later Montgomery works to see if those details ring true.

          I’ve never studied writing in an academic setting (unless you count high school English, which I don’t, as I barely remember paying attention… O_o), so I love hearing thoughts from my friends who have more experience here. I like the idea of a writer *forgetting* to be intentional. I imagine that comes from being too excited or being lazy?

          • Grab the Lapels January 31, 2018 at 4:06 pm

            I think it comes from just not having a plan, but putting down words anyway. Sort of like when you space out while driving because you’ve take the same route so many times. Sure, you’re driving, but you’re not really making any conscious decisions about avoiding potholes and looking for raccoons alongside the road.

            • Jackie B February 2, 2018 at 3:22 pm

              Oh man. I am always freaked out when that happens! I’m driving and all of a sudden I’m at my location… I always wonder if I killed someone on my way to there… O_o

  • Sarah Emsley January 26, 2018 at 7:14 pm

    I hear you on taking one’s time so the series won’t end! I participated in a 2015 Anne readalong and I *still* haven’t written about Rilla. You are way ahead of me. I read the book years ago and while I do want to reread it, I keep putting it off. I think you’re right that this must be because on some level I just don’t want to get to the end of the series. Lovely to read your review!

    • Jackie B January 28, 2018 at 7:09 pm

      Haha! I’m glad to hear that I’m not alone, Sarah! I’ve done this with quite a few series… in fact, I haven’t read the final book in N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance trilogy because it’s the last book she’s written I haven’t read. I don’t want to let that go!

      I’d LOVE to read your thoughts on Rilla of Ingleside some day! You are so knowledgable about the context of these novels; I know I’ll gleen something new from your review! Please let me know if you ever get around to it (I’ll keep an eye out, as well)!

  • Jillian January 27, 2018 at 7:43 am

    I recommend (STRONGLY) that you read Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain next. 🙂

    • Jackie B January 28, 2018 at 6:57 pm

      Oooh. I dunno, almost 700 pages of WWI non-fiction? I will admit, I am hesitating. I struggle ti pick up books over 600 pages when I know I’ll like them. Hm. Can you elaborate a bit more why I should pick this book up next? Sell me on it, Jillian! XD

      • Jillian January 29, 2018 at 7:30 am

        (I meant to hit “reply” on this with my comment below! I’ll paste it here so it makes sense.) 🙂

        It doesn’t read like dull non-fiction. It’s a memoir — it reads like a novel. It’s about this upper-crust girl in 1913 England (think Sybil Crawley, from Downton Abbey) who is a feminist and a political thinker but she doesn’t KNOW it yet. She falls in love with a guy who is a poet and a feminist in a sea of tedious rich people (they read The Story of an African Farm together, and he challenges her BRAIN and her PHILOSOPHY), & she is trying to get into Oxford to KNOW THINGS and LEARN but she is a feeble woman and so Oxford is trying to deprive her (think Virginia Woolf trying to get into the college in A Room of One’s Own), but the war starts and her beloved brother joins, and her best friend joins, and her boyfriend/fiancé joins (Roland Leighton — you can read his poems by Googling him, he should have been famous), and she is drawn to nurse (like Sybil Crawley), and then the inevitable happens, and happens, and happens, and her life is gutted, and she discovers a strength in herself she didn’t know she had, and finally that girl from the beginning of the story seems a distant memory to her, like a neighbor or a distant cousin, and she has nothing left but must go on, so she tries to enter the world again as a new woman, transformed by the war, and the world is different and on its knees, and it needs the voice of a woman.

        The book is about that. And it’s a true story. And it was a movie! LAST YEAR! Or maybe it was 2016… Watch this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLiLInoOod0

        (If you really want something shorter? I’m reading Chronicle of Youth by Vera Brittain right now. It’s the exact same story, but it’s only 348 pages long because it’s her journal, not her memoir. It’s the actual journal she wrote while all of it was happening. But I recommend her memoirs. I never recommend reading only part of something, but honestly, you could read the first 400 pages of the memoir and stop there. The last two hundred pages are like a different book. They are the message she shared the memoir to say — her essay on war and feminism. The first four hundred pages are her story and they are EXTREMELY moving. Not like non-fiction at all. They’re like a novel in first person which HAPPENS to be true. I can’t recommend it enough.)

        • Jackie B January 31, 2018 at 10:44 am

          Been there, done that myself. But as long as this is here twice— have you seen the film? if so, what do you think?

          • Jillian January 31, 2018 at 11:35 am

            I have seen the film! I think it’s really good, but it lacks Brittain’s incredible intelligence and strength. There’s an excellent heroine in it — but it isn’t VERA, if that makes sense. It gives you the plot points and offers you a movie version of the soul. Meaning you see the surface. I still recommend the film, but it in no way compares. 🙂

            • Jackie B February 2, 2018 at 3:19 pm

              I can completely relate to that. I think that memoirs turned into films often feel that way if you are familiar with the original text. It’s hard to embody someone like that!

              I’ll definitely check out the film after I’ve read the book. I’m not that much of a movie buff, but lately I’ve really enjoyed watching film adaptions of the books I’ve recently finished.

  • Dani @ Perspective of a Writer January 28, 2018 at 10:50 pm

    WOW! This is a gorgeous review Jackie. It’s sad but true when a character plays out in the way that feels spot on and perfect for them but still it makes you so sad for them… I feel like that kind of experience brings the entire book alive <3

  • Jillian January 29, 2018 at 7:28 am

    It doesn’t read like dull non-fiction. It’s a memoir — it reads like a novel. It’s about this upper-crust girl in 1913 England (think Sybil Crawley, from Downton Abbey) who is a feminist and a political thinker but she doesn’t KNOW it yet. She falls in love with a guy who is a poet and a feminist in a sea of tedious rich people (they read The Story of an African Farm together, and he challenges her BRAIN and her PHILOSOPHY), & she is trying to get into Oxford to KNOW THINGS and LEARN but she is a feeble woman and so Oxford is trying to deprive her (think Virginia Woolf trying to get into the college in A Room of One’s Own), but the war starts and her beloved brother joins, and her best friend joins, and her boyfriend/fiancé joins (Roland Leighton — you can read his poems by Googling him, he should have been famous), and she is drawn to nurse (like Sybil Crawley), and then the inevitable happens, and happens, and happens, and her life is gutted, and she discovers a strength in herself she didn’t know she had, and finally that girl from the beginning of the story seems a distant memory to her, like a neighbor or a distant cousin, and she has nothing left but must go on, so she tries to enter the world again as a new woman, transformed by the war, and the world is different and on its knees, and it needs the voice of a woman.

    The book is about that. And it’s a true story. And it was a movie! LAST YEAR! Or maybe it was 2016… Watch this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLiLInoOod0

    (If you really want something shorter? I’m reading Chronicle of Youth by Vera Brittain right now. It’s the exact same story, but it’s only 348 pages long because it’s her journal, not her memoir. It’s the actual journal she wrote while all of it was happening. But I recommend her memoirs. I never recommend reading only part of something, but honestly, you could read the first 400 pages of the memoir and stop there. The last two hundred pages are like a different book. They are the message she shared the memoir to say — her essay on war and feminism. The first four hundred pages are her story and they are EXTREMELY moving. Not like non-fiction at all. They’re like a novel in first person which HAPPENS to be true. I can’t recommend it enough.)

    • Jackie B January 31, 2018 at 10:44 am

      Jillian — I adore you. This is the best possible response you could have given me. I am SO EXCITED to read this book now, you have no idea. Are you in marketing?! I mean, honestly. I’m completely sold. Requested from the library already.

      And then I’ll watch the film. Because duh. Wow!

      • Jillian January 31, 2018 at 11:37 am

        Aw, thank you! AND YAY!!!! I cannot WAIT to know what you think! Ha, actually I work in a bookstore. Maybe I’m good at selling. 😛 😉

        • Jackie B February 2, 2018 at 3:20 pm

          XD XD Well, you found the right occupation. Because you’re crushing it.

  • Laila@BigReadingLife January 29, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    Lovely review! Thanks for linking to my thoughts. I am so glad you also loved this. What a great way to end the Readalong! I agree, it could be read as a standalone. Books set during WWI don’t seem as plentiful as those set during WWII. I’d be interested in reading more fiction set in this time.

    • Jackie B January 29, 2018 at 8:54 pm

      Of course! Your review is so lovely. There is a lot of glean from Rilla of Inleside. It is warm-hearted and still filled with harsh life lessons. Very powerful.

      I know! There aren’t enough well-read WWI books. Basically, I can come up with Rilla of Ingleside, A Farewell to Arms and All Quiet on the Western Front. And that’s it. O_o I am so embarrassed.

  • Jane @ Greenish Bookshelf January 29, 2018 at 3:32 pm

    I am so glad you loved this one as much as I did! It was one of my favorites of the series. Although, I agree that it feels like it’s own stand alone novel in many ways.

    Montgomery at her best, for sure!

    • Jackie B January 31, 2018 at 8:47 pm

      Agreed! Definitely a favorite, and one I will be recommending to others for years to come due to that stand alone nature. The details and the characters really make this book shine!

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