Emily of New Moon (Hardcover)

Although the major thread of the three books is how Emily Starr learns to become a successful writer, that element is a minor one in this first book. Once again, Montgomery presents us with a spirited orphan who has to live with her mother's relatives after her father dies (although Emily is young and less mature than Anne Shirley). But the twist here is that nobody wants Emily and it is only out a sense of duty that they make the young girl draw lots to see where she will live. Emily ends up with Elizabeth Murray, her mother's sister, at New Moon Farm on Prince Edward Island. Aunt Elizabeth disapproves of Emily's father and the way she was raised, and has no trouble communicating that to the child. Fortunately, while Aunt Elizabeth is the boss of New Moon, Aunt Laura treats Emily more kindly and Cousin Jimmy Murray "ain't quite all there," but is a gentle soul as well.

At the heart of "Emily of New Moon" are the heated confrontations between Emily and Aunt Elizabeth over matters ranging from the little girl's bangs to her love of writing and the letters she writes to her father "On the Road to Heaven." Apparently Emily has enough of the Murray blood to affect the look of her grandfather when her dander is up, so she does not lose all of these battles. The most notable is when Aunt Elizabeth discovers the letters Emily has been secretly writing to her father. When she confronts her neice, expecting Emily to show dismay, shame, or fear over what she has done, Elizabeth is stunned by the righteous indignation from Emily that turns the tables with a vengeance.

There is also a touch of mysticism in each of these books, for Emily has the second sight, which sets up the moving climax of this first book when Emily is taken ill. In her fevered imagination the curtain is lifted and she sees what happened to the mother of her friend, Isla Burnley. The worried adults say whatever they think Emily wants to here, but she knows they are lying. When Aunt Elizabeth agrees to go and get Isle's mother out of the old well, Emily calms down. "I know you'll keep your word," she says. "You are very hard--but you never lie, Aunt Elizabeth." Emily's second sight comes into play in each of the three novels, but never to as great effect as it does in this first one.

Because they deal with the art of writing, the three Emily books are seen as being the most autobiographical of Montgomery's works. Certainly if anyone reading the Anne books or any of Montgomery's works is interested in pursuing a career as a writer, they should read the Emily books to get a real feel for how hard it is to be a good writer. But the stories can be enjoyed on their own even if you have decided you are going to be a reader and not a writer. Once young readers have gone through the Anne and Emily books, there is still "The Story Girl," "Magic for Marigold" and many other L. M. Montgomery novels (and short story collections) for them to enjoy. I did not read any of them until I was in my thirties, so I can assure you it is never too late to start.

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