Library Journal
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Nova Scotia-born children's author Wilson gives us the backstory to a classic, imagining little orphan Anne of Green Gables before she found her new family. Look for the 100th-anniversary edition of L.M. Montgomery's beloved work (ISBN 978-0-399-15478-2. $19.95). (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, the release of this prequel is sure to cause quite a stir among Anne Shirley fans. A heroine beloved by generations of girls and women, Anne Shirley continues to have a devoted following today. Though purists will object, those who have often imagined Anne's life before Green Gables will devour this backstory. Everyone who ever read the original book remembers hints suggesting that Anne's prior life was no bed of roses, and Canadian author Wilson paints an appropriately bleak portrait of the orphaned Anne's early years. Still, she manages to remain true to the optimistic tone of the original book while relating the hardscrabble  details of Anne's first 12 years. The ready-made audience of women with fond memories of the classic coming-of-age tale will guarantee readership for this imaginative prequel.--Flanagan, Margaret Copyright 2008 Booklist