Before Green Gables

Wilson's sizable collection of successful children's and young adult books (including The Courtship and Leaving) is one book richer with this release, which provides the authorized backstory to L. M. Montgomery's classic character, Anne of Green Gables. Set in Nova Scotia, the book follows Anne through a string of foster homes full of diapers, dirty dishes, screaming children and endless chores. Orphaned at three months by her schoolteacher parents, she searches for knowledge and love in the chaotic, grueling, unpredictable world she inhabits. Every time Anne is on the brink of finding happiness it's taken away from her, though by the time she's 11 and living with her second (but not last) foster family, the Hammonds, it appears as if Anne's life might be calming down. But after a tragic turn of events, her future is uncertain yet again. Although a little long, the book is a quick read that will keep the reader invested in its compelling characters from start to finish.