Anne of Windy Poplars
October Book Talk
From Wikipedia using My Dear Mr. M: Letters to G. B. MacMillan from L. M. Montgomery as a reference:
Montgomery's original title for the book was Anne of Windy Willows, but her US publisher requested that she change the title because of the title's similarities to The Wind in the Willows. Additionally, her publisher requested some cuts to the book, mainly for perceived gory or terrifying content. Montgomery complied, and the edited novel was published in the United States and Canada as Anne of Windy Poplars. Her UK publisher, however, did not see the need for the edits and published the unabridged version under the original title, Anne of Windy Willows.
HERE is a link to the Anne of Windy Poplars Wiki Fandom page that shows the differences between Anne of Windy Poplars and Anne of Windy Willows.
A Psalm and a Literary Reference
From The First Year, Chapter 1:
“I can be so alone up here when I want to be. You know it’s lovely to be alone once in a while. The winds will be my friends. They’ll wail and sigh and croon around my tower…the white winds of winter…the green winds of spring…the blue winds of summer…the crimson winds of autumn…and the wild winds of all seasons… ‘stormy wind fulfilling his word.’ How I’ve always thrilled to that Bible verse…as if each and every wind had a message for me. I’ve always envied the boy who flew with the north wind in that lovely old story of George MacDonald’s. Some night, Gilbert, I’ll open my tower casement and just step into the arm of the wind…and Rebecca Dew will never know why my bed wasn’t slept in that night.”
Psalm 148 NIV
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights above.
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for at his command they were created,
6 and he established them for ever and ever—
he issued a decree that will never pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
9 you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women,
old men and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his faithful servants,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the Lord.
At the Back of the North Wind
From At the Back of the North Wind, Chapter 1:
Presently, however, he lifted his head and listened. Who could that be talking to him? The wind was rising again, and getting very loud, and full of rushes and whistles.
Character List from Wikipedia:
Anne Shirley - Moving from Green Gables in Avonlea to Windy Poplars in Summerside, Anne takes a job as principal of Summerside High School while her fiancé Gilbert finishes medical school. Over three years, she must win over the snobbish Pringles who rule the town, befriend the resentful vice-principal, and help the lonely girl who lives next door.
Aunt Kate MacComber - The owner of Windy Poplars who was previously married to a splendid sea captain.
Aunt Charlotte "Chatty" MacLean - A sweet and frivolous old widow at Windy Poplars who likes to read novels and play cards.
Rebecca Dew - The housekeeper at Windy Poplars.
Elizabeth Grayson - A lonely and unhappy 8-year-old girl who lives next door to Windy Poplars. Her mother died when she was born and her father works abroad. Little Elizabeth dreams about "Tomorrow" and changes her name based on her mood.
Mrs. Campbell - Little Elizabeth's cold and unloving great-grandmother.
Martha Monkman - Mrs. Campbell's elderly maid. Better known as "the Woman", she is just as strict and cruel as her employer, telling Elizabeth that "Tomorrow" will never come.
Katherine Brooke - The sarcastic and bitter vice-principal of Summerside High School. She wanted the principal job and resents Anne for getting it.
Jen Pringle - A student at Summerside High School who is highly intelligent but dislikes Anne and causes trouble in class.
Sophy Sinclair - A non-Pringle student in Anne's class. She is a plain and quiet girl who longs to play Mary, Queen of Scots in the school play.
Lewis Allen - An orphaned pupil who does housework to pay for his board.
Ellen Pringle - An elegant and sweet-looking woman who lives with her sister in a mansion called Maplehurst.
Sarah Pringle - Miss Ellen's sister who bosses the entire Pringle clan.
Pierce Grayson - Little Elizabeth's distant father who moved to Paris after his wife died.
Valentine Courtaloe - The local dressmaker who knows everything about everyone in Summerside, living and dead.
Trix Taylor - A jolly twenty-year-old who seeks Anne's help when her father's attitude threatens her sister's engagement.
Esme Taylor - Trix's sweet, timid sister who is madly in love with a college professor and fears he will not propose because of her family.
Cyrus Taylor- The father of Trix and Esme who is prone to sulky fits.
Dr. Lennox Carter - A modern languages professor at Redmond College and the object of Esme's affection.
Mrs. Gibson - A demanding eighty-year-old who is waited on hand and foot by her timid, middle-aged daughter Pauline.
Pauline Gibson - Mrs. Gibson's daughter who takes care of her and dares not do anything without asking her mother.
Nora Nelson - The last of six sisters to be single who fought with one of her former sweethearts and fears she may never marry.
Jim Wilcox - Nora's suitor whom she has dated on and off for four years.
Hazel Marr - A newcomer in Summerside who does not love her wealthy beau enough to marry him.
Terry Garland - Hazel's beau who considers their engagement to be nothing more than childish nonsense.
Mrs. Raymond - The mother of Gerald and Geraldine, eight-year-old twins whom Anne looks after while Mrs. Raymond attends a funeral.
Geraldine Raymond - The daughter of Mrs. Raymond and Gerald's twin sister.
Gerald Raymond - The son of Mrs. Raymond and Geraldine's twin brother.
Ivy Trent - A girl whom the Raymond twins dislike. She never does wrong and loves to show off her immaculate clothes.
Sibyl "Dovie" Westcott - A pretty, likeable 19-year-old girl whom Anne convinces to elope against her father's wishes.
Jarvis Morrow - A successful young lawyer and Dovie's fiancé who cannot win her father's approval.
Franklin Westcott - Dovie's somber, widowed father who has never allowed his daughter to have any suitors.
Minerva Tomgallon- The last remaining member of her family who lives alone and rarely goes out except to church. She invites Anne over for dinner and tells her the tragic lives of her relatives.
Gerald and Geraldine Raymond
From The Third Year, Chapter 2
“You see, Miss Shirley, what this encyclopedia means. Look at the beautiful paper…feel it…the splendid engravings…no other encyclopedia on the market has half the number of engravings…the wonderful print—a blind man could read it—and all for eighty dollars…”
Katherine Brooke
From The Second Year, Chapter 5:
…everything along the road kept saying to her, “Do you remember?”
From The Second Year, Chapter 6:
“Katherine Brooke, look at yourself in that mirror; carry that picture of yourself with you…magnificent hair framing your face instead of trying to pull it backward…eyes sparkling like dark stars…a little flush of excitement on your cheeks…”
From Chapter 14 of The Third Year
“I’ve come to another bend in the road. I’ve written you a good many letters in this old tower room these past three years. I suppose this is the last one I will write you for a long, long time. Because after this there won’t be any need of letters. In just a few weeks now we’ll belong to each other forever…we’ll be together. Just think of it…being together…talking, walking, eating, dreaming, planning together…sharing each other’s wonderful moments…making a home out of our house of dream.”
Please share your favorite character or scene from Anne of Windy Poplars! I would love to know! You can reply to this email or comment on Substack.
As always, I’m delighted that you’re here. :)
~Stephanie
This was fun to listen to!