Anne of Windy Poplars

Anne of Windy Poplars—published as Anne of Windy Willows in the UK, Australia, and Japan—is an epistolary novel by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery. First published in 1936 by McClelland and Stewart, it details Anne Shirley's experiences over three years teaching at a high school in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. The novel features a series of letters Anne sends to her intended, Gilbert Blythe, who is completing medical school. Chronologically, the book is fourth in the series, but it was the seventh book written.

This article is about the novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. For 1940 American film, see Anne of Windy Poplars (film).
Anne of Windy Poplars
First edition
AuthorLucy Maud Montgomery
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
SeriesAnne of Green Gables
GenreChildren's novel
PublisherMcClelland and Stewart
Publication date
1936
Media typePrint (Hardcover)
Preceded byAnne of the Island 
Followed byAnne's House of Dreams 

The book's United States copyright was renewed in 1963.[1]

Summary

Anne of Windy Poplars takes place over the three years between Anne's graduation from Redmond College and her marriage to Gilbert Blythe. While Gilbert is in medical school, Anne takes a job as the principal of Summerside High School, where she also teaches. She lives in a large house called Windy Poplars with two elderly widows, Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty, along with their housekeeper, Rebecca Dew, and their cat, Dusty Miller.

During her time in Summerside, Anne must learn to manage many of Summerside's inhabitants, including the clannish and resentful Pringle family, her bitter colleague Katherine Brooke, and others of Summerside's more eccentric residents. Additionally, Anne befriends the young and lonely Elizabeth Grayson, a motherless member of the Pringle family who lives next door to Windy Poplars. She frequently visits Marilla at Green Gables.

At the end of the novel, Anne departs Summerside, returning to Green Gables and Avonlea for her wedding to Gilbert. Upon her departure many of the town's residents express that they will greatly miss her as they have grown very fond of her or have been helped by her, including Katherine Brooke and Elizabeth Grayson.

Characters

Anne Shirley - The main protagonist who has moved from Green Gables in Avonlea to Windy Poplars in Summerside. Anne accepts 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.

Elizabeth Grayson - A lonely and unhappy child that lives next door to Windy Poplars being raised by her great-grandmother and an elderly housekeeper she calls "The Woman", after her mother died and her father left to work overseas. Elizabeth dreams about "Tomorrow" and changes her name based on her mood. Anne tries to find ways to bring joy to Elizabeth's life.

Rebecca Dew - Aunt Chatty and Aunt Kate's housekeeper. Summerside believes that she rules the "widows" with her outspoken ways and her demands. However, her employers have long learned to manage her through reverse psychology. She is genuinely fond of Anne and very kind.

Aunt Charlotte "Chatty" MacLean - A sweet, sensitive old widow who lives at Windy Poplars. She has a frivolous personality and likes to buttermilk her face, read novels, and play cards, which she hides from Rebecca Dew.

Aunt Kate MacComber - The owner of Windy Poplars who was previously married to a splendid sea captain

Katherine Brooke - The vice-principal of Summerside High School. She resents Anne because she believes that she should have been offered the job as principal. Katherine is sarcastic and bitter, but a good teacher. Raised by her uncle, she feels the need to repay him every cent, so she lives a joyless life. In the end, she becomes good friends with Anne and finds her path to happiness.

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 High School Dramatic Club's play.

Mrs. Gibson - An old acquaintance of Marilla's from White Sands. A demanding eighty-year-old, she uses a wheelchair and 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. Anne helps Pauline convince the crotchety Mrs. Gibson to let her attend a cousin's silver wedding anniversary for one day.

Mrs. Campbell - Little Elizabeth's cold and unloving great-grandmother.

Pierce Grayson - Little Elizabeth's distant father who moved to Paris after his wife died.

Series

Montgomery continued the story of Anne Shirley in a series of sequels. They are listed in the order of Anne's age in each novel.

Lucy Maud Montgomery's books featuring Anne Shirley
#BookDate publishedAnne Shirley's age
1Anne of Green Gables190811-16
2Anne of Avonlea190916-18
3Anne of the Island191518-22
4Anne of Windy Poplars193622-25
5Anne's House of Dreams191725-27
6Anne of Ingleside193934-40
7Rainbow Valley191941
8Rilla of Ingleside192149-53
Related books in which Anne Shirley plays a lesser part
#BookDate publishedAnne Shirley's age
—Chronicles of Avonlea1912-
—Further Chronicles of Avonlea1920-
—The Blythes Are Quoted2009-

Windy Poplars vs Windy Willows

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.[2][3]

Adaptations
Main article: Anne of Windy Poplars (film)

A 1940 film version of the novel, a sequel to the 1934 Anne of Green Gables, featured the return of actress Anne Shirley, formerly Dawn O'Day. The film recorded a loss of $176,000.[4]

The novel also serves as the primary source for the 1987 television mini-series Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel.

References
  1. Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1963). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1963 Books and Pamphlets July-Dec 3D Ser Vol 17 Pt 1 Sec 2. U.S. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 2208.
  2. My dear Mr. M: Letters to GB MacMillan from LM Montgomery, Mcgraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd, 1980, pp. 180-181
  3. The Differences Between Anne of Windy Poplars and Anne of Windy Willows
  4. Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, The RKO Story. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p149
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