"Anne's House of Dreams" by L.M. Montgomery (re-read)

(**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS**) 

My L.M. Montgomery Readathon Facebook group just finished our chapter-by-chapter group reading and discussion of  "Anne's House of Dreams," the 5th novel in the "Anne of Green Gables" series, originally published in 1917.  (I read the book back in January before we began our group readalong, and you can find my original review here.) 

Newlyweds Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe -- now a newly graduated doctor -- set up housekeeping and a medical practice in a small rented white house near Four Winds Harbour, 60 miles from Green Gables and Avonlea.  Marilla, Mrs. Lynde and other Avonlea folk we've come to know and love make brief appearances throughout the book, but we're also introduced to a whole new cast of memorable characters, including retired sea captain Jim Boyd, keeper of the Four Winds lighthouse and teller of wonderful stories;  sharp-tongued spinster with a heart of gold Miss Cornelia Bryant;  and Anne's closest neighbour, the beautiful, mysterious Leslie Moore, whose wariness guards a tragic story. 

ALI alert/spoiler:  Anne also experiences tragedy of a different sort in this story -- the death of her firstborn child, a daughter named Joy -- a loss Montgomery herself experienced in 1914 (as have I, and many of you reading this blog).  25+ years after my loss, and more than a century after this book was written, this chapter still packs a powerful punch. (Have kleenex handy.) 

(Another alert/spoiler:  There IS a "rainbow baby" too!)   

Overall, I love this book.  It's one of my favourites in the series.

My original rating of 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on Goodreads, still stands. 

This was Book #17 read to date in 2024 (and Book #3 finished in May), bringing me to 38%  of my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 1 book behind schedule to meet my goal. :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2024 tagged as "2024 books."