As if by Gandalf's magic, it's time for the first book of the year! Cissarose, Briellerose, and I will take you through another collection of books this year to thrill and inspire you. The Hobbit Library will always be open to everyone.
It's a new year, and that means resolutions... that some manage to keep and some don't... either way, we make them. Imagine being taken from an orphanage and heading to what you hope will be your "forever home". That is exactly what happened to Anne (spelt with an E) Shirley in Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Anne is a red-headed girl, who is taken to Green Gables. She resolves to be the best girl she can be for Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who decide to keep her, even though they asked for a boy.
Anne decides that she will do her best to please Marilla especially, but her imagination often gets the better of her. That does rather remind me of Cissarose. She's by far the Hobbit sister with the most imagination. Anne forgets to take things out of the oven or forgets what time she has to be inside because she's imagining Lady Cordelia or the Lake of Shining Waters.
One thing that I love about Anne is she sees the world differently from the way you or I would see it. I really do love that about her. She resolves to keep that up, as well as who Marilla and Matthew wish her to be. Of course, it doesn't happen, as her imagination gets the better of her, but it also helps to change Marilla, and she comes to love Anne... just don't ask her to admit it because she won't.
I also love the way that Anne is so unapologetically herself, even if that means she has to go against everyone. The one thing Anne truly dislikes is her hair colour. She feels so distressed and upset about having red hair, but it's different. Most heroines have blonde, brown, or black hair, so it really does make a change.
There is one friend in Avonlea who has an influence on Anne, as well as the Cuthberts, and that is Diana Barry. Diana is a girl, the same age as Anne, who steadies her and helps Anne. She also loves to come up with names that complement the names Anne would choose for things. In some ways, Diana helps Anne to keep her resolution to be a better person, as Diana brings Anne back to reality from her daydreams. She helps her focus more on things that she should be.
I want to say that I would make a resolution to be more like Anne, but I don't want to be. Yes, I would like to have an imagination like hers, but that's it, really. I would love to be a better me. I know my sisters would say I am the best I can be, but I don't think I am.
Anne has resolved to be a better person, without losing herself, and I think that is a wonderful thing to do. It's all fine and well to become someone people want you to be, but it's important to lose yourself in the process. I can't wait to finish the book and see what happens to Anne. She's an interesting character, for sure.
My final tip is to make resolutions that you can keep, that are easy but improve you as a person. And on that note, Cissarose, Briellerose and I wish you a Happy New Year, and we'll be back with more books soon.
Lots of love,
Ellieanarose xx