Perennials Podcast Book Club

In Chapter 37, Green Gables is marked by a heartbreaking death. Anne touches deep grief for the first time, and wrestles with enjoying life while holding space for what has been lost. 

In Chapter 36 of Anne of Green Gables, one of Anne's dreams comes true: she wins the Avery scholarship, which means that she can go to Redmond College in the fall. She returns to Green Gables for the summer, happy and satisfied but also exhausted by all of her hard work--and it turns out that Matthew and Marilla are exhausted too. Both are facing health problems and money worries, and Anne is worried too. 

In Chapter 35 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne notices that Gilbert has been spending a lot of time with Ruby Gillis, and we see the seeds planted for Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me." While Anne's friends worry themselves half to death over exams, Anne takes the longview and tells them to focus on the chestnut buds. Life is good, and Anne is here for it.After the chapter reading, you'll hear chapter reflections between me and my friend Katie Devine. Katie is a middle school teacher of language arts and social studies who has been my book club buddy for over six years now. In our conversation, we talk about the trope of "she's not like other girls," Anne's growing respect for Gilbert and the maturity she displays in her reverence for chestnut buds over anxiety. 

In Chapter 34 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne says goodbye to Diana, Matthew and Marilla and departs for her first semester at Queen's College. Though she'll be back at Green Gables in a week to visit, this goodbye is a doozy, especially for Marilla. Will Marilla tell Anne what she means to her? Will Anne make friends at Queen's? And will Anne realize that there's more to Gilbert than his splendid chin?After the chapter reading, stick around for reflections with my personal Diana, Melissa Adamo. Melissa is a longtime lover of Anne of Green Gables and a college writing instructor who shares what she'll be taking from this chapter of Anne back into her own college classroom. We talk about our first semesters at college, coping with transitions, and our thoughts on ambition.  

In Chapter 33 of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Anne is reciting "The Maiden's Vow" at a concert at the White Sands Hotel. Diana helps Anne get ready at Green Gables, and the girls ride over with Jane Andrews and her brother Billy. When Anne gets to the performers' dressing room, she suddenly is struck by how wealthy many of the performers are, and is paralyzed by stage fright -- until she notices Gilbert Blythe in the crowd.Will Anne be able to recite her poem? Will the audience be as critical as she fears? Will Anne be so dazzled by all the "wealth and culture" that she is no longer content with her life in Avonlea? After the chapter reading, stick around for reflections with Lauren Burke, host of the podcast Bonnets at Dawn (this part of the episode begins at 19:06). Lauren and I talk about what makes Montgomery such a good writer; themes of imposter syndrome, shame and class in this chapter; and why Lauren wants to read this chapter to her daughter someday. 

In Chapter 32 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne and her classmates go to take the dreaded Entrance exams for Queen's College. Anne tries to stick to Miss Stacy's good advice to not cram and to spend her time in between exams walking and sleeping. Afterwards, the wait for results is excruciating. Will Anne make top of the list? Will she beat Gilbert? And will Moody Spurgeon fail History and have to become a carpenter after all?Listen to the chapter and then stick around for reflections with my friend Katie Russo, who talks about her own experience graduating valedictorian from her high school. We also discuss test anxiety, meeting deadlines and finding identity in being a good student. 

In Chapter 31 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne leaves behind her last summer as a little girl, refreshed and ready to enter rigorously into her studies -- and into her teenage years. Taller, quieter, and less ready to use big words, Anne starts to study hard and socialize outside of Green Gables more. Marilla feels an unfamiliar sadness when she realizes Anne is taller than her.In today's reflections, I'm joined by Tabrizia Jones, a NY Public Library librariean and previous Perennials guest who talks with me about the pressures and expectations of teenage years; why Miss. Stacy gives good writing advice; and the destination Tabrizia would have run to if she had cut school like she wanted to when she was fifteen. 

In Chapter 30 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne joins Miss. Stacy's class of students who are studying to take the Entrance exams for Queen's College, and Anne reaches a turning point in her growing up - her last summer as a little girl. She starts to learn about the ambition and plans of her classmates, and Miss. Stacy encourages the teenage girls to think seriously about forming good habits to solidify their character. My cousin and former Perennials guest Olivia Arnold joins me for reflections today, to talk about expectations and conditioning for girls and women, the in-betweenness of being almost 14, and why Moody Spurgeon wins the award today for "Most Relatable Cringe Moment."

In Chapter 29 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne and Diana are invited to visit Aunt Josephine's house in the city. Anne is ecstatic to accept the invitation, and finds herself encountering things she has only dreamed about before: silk curtains, spare rooms, horse races and ice cream enjoyed at nearly midnight. Yet Anne finds that everything she has dreamed of isn't exactly what she thought it would be. What moment of the trip does Anne enjoy most? Does Anne consider herself a city girl or a country girl? And might Anne shift something in the heart of an old selfish woman before she returns to Avonlea? As we enter the last ten chapters of Anne of Green Gables, I decided to invite some friends to join in the reflection portions of these episodes.Ruth Macallan joins me today to talk about Chapter 29 and share her beautiful, wise thoughts about Anne's imagination, her maturity, and the fact that Anne "isn't striving for perfect, she's just striving for life"

In Chapter 28 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne and her friends decide to act out Tennyson's poem "Lancelot and Elaine" by having Anne, portraying the dead Elaine, float across the pond and under the bridge to the waiting Lancelot (Diana) and Guinevere (Jane) in Camelot. Unfortunately for Anne, her funeral vessel springs a leak, and she finds herself alone in the middle of the water on a sinking flat. Will God answer Anne's prayers to float her close enough to a bridge pile for her to scramble out? Will anyone come to Anne's rescue? And will this be the end of Anne's romantic dreaming once and for all?

In Chapter 27 of Anne of Green Gables, Marilla comes home expecting to find Anne stoking the fire and preparing supper, but Anne is nowhere to be found. Marilla eventually finds her cowering in her bedroom, covering her face and asking Marilla not to look at her - which is kid language for "I did something bad."What did Anne do to her head? How was a peddler involved in the debacle? And will Marilla ever give her the benefit of the doubt before jumping to the worst conclusions?

In Chapter 26, Anne turns thirteen years old and officially enters her teen years. She wonders whether she has any hope of growing up to be "perfect" like the minister's wife, and resolves not to engage in any more "uncharitable speech." Meanwhile, Diana wishes to be better at making up stories, and Anne creates a Story Club to help her friends cultivate their imaginations.Things to reflect on in this chapter:Learning from Anne's hope that we can all grow and change, while also learning to be present and grateful for where we are today.Thinking about the Story Club as a creative, loving way to connect with people - as opposed to "hot wiring" connection (Brene Brown's words!) through the destructive force of gossip.

In Chapter 25 of Anne of Green Gables, Matthew wakes up and decides to do something special for Anne, even if it means going outside of his comfort zone and leaving Marilla out of it. Will Marilla allow Anne to keep Matthew's Christmas gift? Will Anne have the nerve to get up onstage at the school concert and deliver her recitation? And what can we learn about giving and receiving from this special chapter?

In Chapter 24, Anne returns to school amidst the glory of October, and her dreams come true when Miss Stacy announces the students will be putting on a Christmas concert. Unfortunately, gross beauty standards rear their ugly heads once again. As usual, Anne finds a listening ear in Matthew when Marilla has no patience for her raptures.  This chapter leaves us with some questions: who gets to decide what a fairy queen looks like? Will Anne's imagination get big enough to free her from damaging societal messages about beauty? And while Matthew's loving acceptance of Anne is beautiful, is it fair for him to leave all of the disciplining to Marilla?

In Chapter 23, Anne goes to a party at Diana's house, and the girls start daring each other. Anne pricks Josie Pye's pride, and Josie in return dares Anne to walk the ridgepole of Mr. Barry's kitchen roof. Of course, Anne can't turn down the dare. Will she make it across the roof? Will she take a hard fall? Will Josie have to live the rest of her life with a dark stain upon her soul?

In Chapter 22 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne gets invited out to tea with her favorite Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Allan. From the moment of the invitation, Anne basically turns into Kristen Wiig as Sue on SNL - a sundae of excitement with a big ol' dollop of hot anxiety melted on top. Will the tea get rained out? Will Anne commit some majorly embarrassing social faux pas? And will Marilla ever let her cold dusty heart crack open a little bit and just feel excited for Anne?

In Chapter 21 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne's school teacher leaves town (byeeeee Professor Patriarchy!) and a new minister and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Allan, arrive. Mr. Allan prays like he means it, and Mrs. Allan, who assumes the role of teacher, actually welcomes questions? Anne can't wait for the couple to visit Green Gables and is eager to bake a cake for her new kindred spirit, but she fears something is going to go wrong. (Spoiler alert...something does.)In today's reflections, I think about the importance of asking questions and holding authority figures accountable; how silence on the part of people like Marilla upholds the status quo; and how Anne can inspire us to be not only better individuals, but better citizens of the world. Chapter reading: 0:14 - 17:18Reflections on the chapter: 17:22 - 32:56Original air date: June 21, 2020

In Chapter 20 of Anne of Green Gables, it's springtime and everything is coming up roses, except for the spruce grove which, in Anne's imagination, is now absolutely teeming with ghosts, goblins, ghouls and all manner of dreaded "white things." Will Anne have the courage to journey through the Haunted Wood to fetch an apron pattern for Marilla? Will she survive the harrowing trip? And for the love of mayflowers, will Marilla ever tell Anne how much she loves her?Chapter reading: 0:14 - 11:19 Reflections on the chapter: 11:23 - 18:28Original air date: June 7, 2020

In Chapter 19 of Anne of Green Gables, Diana invites Anne to a late night concert and sleepover at her house for her birthday. Anne can't wait to have the honor of spending the night in the Barrys' spare room, like a proper guest. But when Diana and Anne go barreling into the spare room and dive onto the bed, they find someone under the covers. Who did Anne and Diana unwittingly attack in their sleep? And will this person react with good humor...or will she vow to take out her wrath on the Barry family?Original air date: June 1, 2020

In Chapter 18 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne and Matthew are enjoying a cozy winter evening at home, while Marilla, Mrs. Lynde, and many other Avonlea residents (including both doctors...which seems like a bad idea, in hindsight) are off at a political rally a few towns over. Diana comes flying to Green Gables in tears, because her baby sister has fallen sick and the babysitter is totally clueless about croup. Matthew races off to find a doctor while Anne hurries to the Barry household to take care of Minnie May. Will Anne save Minnie's life? And might this act be enough to melt the icy heart of Mrs. Barry?Chapter reading: 0:14 - 16:26Reflections on the chapter: 16:30 - 25:11Original air date: May 22, 2020

In Chapter 17 of Anne of Green Gables, Diana tells Anne she loves her and the two share a tearful goodbye, though their souls will of course commune forevermore. Anne returns to school, and the rivalry between her and Gilbert heats up. Who will get top marks on the next exam? Will Anne ever master decimals? And will Anne's love for Diana truly prove inextinguishable? Chapter reading: 0:14 - 10:39Reflections on the chapter: 10:42 - 19:03Original air date: May 16, 2020

In Chapter 16 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne invites Diana over for tea and Diana ends up stumbling home drunk as a skunk. What was up with that raspberry cordial that Anne served her, and will Mrs. Barry ever forgive Diana's bosom friend?Chapter reading: 0:14 - 19:12Reflections on the chapter: 19:17 - 26:06Original air date: May 10, 2020

In Chapter 15 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne starts school, so you know we're in for a wild ride! After an uneventful but enjoyable first few weeks, Gilbert Blythe pulls Anne's braid and calls her "Carrots," and let's just say he ends up with a slate tablet broken over his head. Will Anne ever forgive Gilbert? Will she return to school? And will her creepy teacher stop hitting on his sixteen-year-old student long enough to teach the class?Chapter reading: 0:14 - 26:56Reflections on the chapter: 26:59 - 38:33Original air date: May 2, 2020

In Chapter 14 of Anne of Green Gables, Marilla's prized amethyst brooch goes missing, and Anne was the last one to touch it. Anne swears she didn't lose it, but the evidence is stacked against her. Is Anne telling the truth? Will Marilla believe her and let her attend the much-anticipated Sunday School picnic? Will Anne finally get to try ice cream? Or will she remain locked in the east gable forever?Chapter reading: 0:14 - 15:19Reflections on the chapter: 15:21 - 21:39Original air date: April 28, 2020

In Chapter 13 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne tells Marilla about her adventures playing with Diana at Idlewild and looks forward with fervent anticipation to the upcoming Sunday School picnic. Marilla and Anne exchange different views on expectation and disappointment, and Anne wonders: will she finally get to taste ice cream for the first time, or will the gathering be rained out? Original air date: April 25, 2020

In Chapter 12 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne meets her potential bosom friend Diana Barry. Will Diana be charmed by Anne's suggestion that they perform a solemn oath of eternal friendship, or will she run screaming back to her strict mother? Chapter reading: 0:14 - 10:28Reflections on the chapter: 10:31 - 13:43Original air date: April 23, 2020

In Chapter 11 of Anne of Green Gables, Marilla gives Anne a few (less than satisfactory) new dresses and tells her it's time to go to Sunday School. Anne must contend with a lack of puffed sleeves, stares and whispers from the other little girls, and boredom in the pews. Marilla must contend with the discomfort of realizing she agrees with some of Anne's observations.Chapter reading: 0:15 - 9:19Reflections on the chapter: 9:21 - 14:38Original air date: April 18, 2020

In Chapter 10 of Anne of Green Gables, Matthew convinces Anne to apologize to Mrs. Rachel for shouting at her after Mrs. Rachel insulted Anne's looks. Will their outspoken neighbor accept Anne's apology?Chapter reading: 0:14 - 13:33Reflections on the chapter: 13:35 - 22:24Original air date: April 16, 2020

In Chapter 9 of Anne of Green Gables, Mrs. Rachel Lynde pays a visit to meet Anne and decides it's totally cool to tell an eleven year old little girl that she is ugly. Since Anne is no shrinking violet, she gives it right back to Mrs. Rachel. What is Marilla to do?Chapter reading: 0:14 - 13:07Reflections on the chapter: 13:09 - 18:19Original air date: April 11, 2020

In Chapter 8 of Anne of Green Gables, Marilla tells Anne that they’ve decided to keep her, and promptly begins the task of bringing up Anne to be a good girl, starting with telling her to learn the Lord’s Prayer. We get another vivid peek into Anne’s imaginative spirituality, learn of her deep desire for a bosom friend, and find out the heartbreaking story behind the friends she left behind when she moved to the orphan asylum. Chapter reading: 0:14 - 14:35Reflections on the chapter: 14:37 - 22:18Original air date: April 10, 2020

In Chapter 7 of Anne of Green Gables, Marilla finds that Anne has never been taught to say prayers at night. We get a little insight into how Marilla and Anne think about God and prayer; Marilla gives instructions for how to pray; and we find out what Anne most wants to ask God for (hint: it's not world peace). Chapter reading: 0:14 - 6:13Reflections on the chapter: 6:15 - 10:23Original air date: April 7, 2020

Chapter 6 of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery is a real turning point in the book--Marilla comes to a final decision about whether she and Matthew will keep Anne at Green Gables with them. Based on the title of the book, you can probably guess her decision, but for the sake of suspense...Chapter reading: 0:14 - 9:42Reflections on the chapter: 9:44 - 12:49 Original air date: April 5, 2020

Chapter 5 of Anne of Green Gables finds Marilla and Anne heading by buggy to Mrs. Spencer's, where Marilla hopes to settle the mix-up and find a way to send Anne back to Nova Scotia. Along the way, Anne shares her history up until that point, and let me tell you...I just wanted to hop into that buggy and turn it right back around to bring Anne back to Green Gables.Chapter reading: 0:14 - 10:35Reflections on the chapter: 10:37 - 13:31For information about the virtual Perennials Book Club meeting on Wednesday, April 1, click here. Original air date: March 31, 2020

In Chapter 4 of Anne of Green Gables, Anne wakes up to a beautiful morning and leaves the depths of despair. But she's still sad at the prospect of leaving Green Gables, and chooses to stay inside rather than go out and explore, because she doesn't want to fall in love with the place and find it that much harder to leave.Chapter reading: 0:13 - 11:44Reflections on the chapter: 11:47 - 17:19To join the free, live virtual book club meeting on April 1, from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. EST, sign up for the Perennials Book Club mailing list to have information sent to you.Original air date: March 29, 2020

In Chapter 3 of Anne of Green Gables, Marilla is surprised, Matthew is quietly distressed, and Anne is deeply (and loudly) disappointed when she finds out that she was right: this was all too good to be true. Chapter reading: 0:14 - 11:21Reflections on the chapter: 11:24 - 15:37To join the free, live virtual book club meeting on April 1, from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. EST, sign up for the Perennials Book Club mailing list to have information sent to you.Original air date: March 28, 2020

Join me in reading Chapter Two of Anne of Green Gables today, to find out what happens when shy, woman-fearing Matthew Cuthbert arrives at the Bright River train station to pick up an orphan boy, and instead finds a strange little red-haired, fast-talking, eternally optimistic girl named Anne.Chapter reading: 0:15 - 24:38Reflections on the chapter: 24:44 - 30:02To join the free, live virtual book club meeting on April 1, from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. EST, sign up for the Perennials Book Club mailing list to have information sent to you.I'd love to hear whether you're more of a listener like Matthew, or a talker like Anne; whether you ever anthropomorphized objects as a child like Anne does (I know I did!); and of course, the eternal question: "'Which would you rather be if you had the choice—divinely beautiful or dazzlingly clever or angelically good?'”Original air date: March 26, 2020

During this difficult and strange time of social distancing amidst a pandemic, I wanted to offer some extra comfort and connection. So I decided to start a Perennials Podcast Book Club! Thanks to all who voted on Instagram and via e-mail for our first Book Club pick: Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery. In each episode, I’ll read a chapter of the book and then end with some thoughts on the chapter. I’m also inviting you to join me for virtual Book Club meetings to talk about the book. Anyone is welcome--feel free to invite a friend and pop in whenever you want, for however long you want.You can sign up for a Book Club email list here to get updates on episodes and meetings, and access Anne of Green Gables free online if you want to read along with the text.My reading of Chapter 1 runs from 3:12 - 18:07, and my thoughts about the chapter/topics for Book Club discussion runs from 18:09 - the end of the episode at 23:30 Original air date: March 25, 2020