"Anne was always romantic, you know," said Marilla apologetically."Well, married life will most likely cure her of that," Mrs. Lynde responded comfortingly.Woo-hoo! This is the moment we've been waiting for - the wedding of Anne and Gilbert.After a simple ceremony at Green Gables, the two lovebirds head to a small house in Four Winds Harbour. (As this book was first published in 1917, there are, or course, no details of the wedding night. That's rather a pity, as I would love to hear Anne's comments about sex.) It's not long until Anne meets her charming and eccentric neighbors: Captain Jim, an elderly sea dog who is bursting with tales about the local area, the lovely and ethereal Leslie, whose life has been touched by so much tragedy, and Miss Cornelia, an opinionated, though kindly, spinster, who has seldom known the luxury of an unexpressed thought. She's not a big fan of the masculine gender; one of her most used expressions is "isn't that just like a man.""I like a man who can stick to a thing," retorted Miss Cornelia. "Amos Grant, who used to be after me long ago, couldn't. You never saw such a weather-vane. He jumped into the pond to drown himself once and then changed his mind and swum out again. Wasn't that just like a man? Marshall would have stuck to it and drowned."As always, Anne is surrounded by love and laughter, great joy and sadness. This is my third visit to this book, and it remains one of my favorites of the series.

Oh....my....goodness....I must sadly admit I didn't like this one, at first...by the second half it had grown on me immensely. I must say that I find this to be the most sorrowful Anne book. There do seem to be many more tragedies wrapped up in this one than any of the others. I find this one to be darker, too. Not in a bad way. But the feel of it is just so different. I have to say, that that is why I didn't like this at first. But, the book did have many happy moments, as well. (Also, when I was reading the majority of this book, the weather was dark, dreary, and rainy. That sometimes dampens my mood and makes me feel oppressed. That could have played a big role on why I didn't like the first part of this book. I mean, if it must rain, why doesn't it just come with a thunderstorm. Those make me happy, as long as they don't get out of hand.) Leslie, my heavens, she just makes me want to cry! I felt so sorry (sorry seems too little a word for it) her during the entire book! Here she is, caring for a grown man, who thinks he's a child for 13 years. THIRTEEN YEARS!!! Does anyone realize how much time that is?! And to believe when she knew Dick might come back, the real Dick, why it nearly broke my heart:( I just know I'd have done the same exact thing, because it was right. But, 'The truth will set you free.' And so it did, in Leslie's case, and will in all cases. Her relationship with Owen Ford was absolutely adorable! Oh, I imagine just the cutest little couple. In my mind, thought not in the book, Owen is short and dumpy, and Leslie is short and petite with the longest blonde hair anyone every saw. And they love each other, and she always holds his arm wherever they go. And when they are perhaps visiting others, though they enjoy the others' company, they steal glances at each other, and their eyes say just how much they love each other, and that no one could ever come between them or that love. Dreamy, isn't it? Ok...now on to actual details about the book.When Joy died I was nearly heartbroken. I remember reading this for the first time, and I felt so for Anne. Anne either really, deeply loves something or doesn't like it all, usually. And you know she would just adore her own children. And when that baby died, a part of her died as well. I knew she was going to become depressed, and when Anne is depressed there seems to be no hope for the rest of the world...But then she got little James Matthew, Little Jem, in the end. Not to replace Joy, but to help heal the wound that she had left a little bit more. The first time I read this book, nearly two years ago, I didn't like it. It was my least favorite Anne book. Though, it still remains my least favorite out of the series, I must admit I do love this one. Just because a book isn't all happy, doesn't mean that it's all bad...now does it? A few favorite quotes of mine from the book: I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people KNOW more... though I know that IS the noblest ambition... but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me... to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born. I couldn't live where there were no trees--something vital in me would starve. Even when I'm alone I have real good company dreams and imaginations and pretendings. I like to be alone now and then, just to think over things and taste them. But I love friendships and nice, jolly little times with people. Thank goodness, we can choose our friends. We have to take our relatives as they are, and be thankful It always amazes me to look at the little, wrinkled brown seeds and think of the rainbows in 'em," said Captain Jim. "When I ponder on them seeds I don't find it nowise hard to believe that we've got souls that'll live in other worlds. You couldn't hardly believe there was life in them tiny things, some no bigger than grains of dust, let alone colour and scent, if you hadn't seen the miracle, could you? When one great passion seizes possession of the soul all other feelings are crowded out. I suppose all this sounds very crazy all these terrible emotions always do sound foolish when we put them into our inadequate words. They are not meant to be spoken only felt and endured.But just think what a dull world it would be if everyone was sensible,' pleaded Anne.My library isn't very extensive but every book in it is a friend.

Anne and Gilbert are finally reunited and move to Four Winds in their House of Dreams (I wonder how many times that phrase is used in this book teehee). Montgomery has once again created a new cast of characters in Captain Jim, Ms Cornelia Bryant (sounds just like a man!) and beautiful Leslie Moore. I enjoyed this jaunt into the newlywed's life on another part of the island. I enjoyed getting to know Leslie's dark past and appreciated the darker undertones in this novel and the strong female protagonist characters that can stand up for themselves.I am enjoying this series and I really love being introduced to these wonderful new characters, while still getting interactions with the older, beloved cast. Looking forward to the next one.