by Linda Reyburn

Created on: November 22, 2011   Last Updated: November 24, 2011

Although Rilla of Ingleside is not as well known as L.M.Montgomery's initial work, Anne of Green Gables, it is a good addition to the series. There are a number of reasons for the initial work to be the most famous, and "Rilla" requires background reading to really understand its characters. This novel makes you work a bit harder for the enjoyment, which on the whole, is satisfactory rather than soul-stirring.

Sketching a Brief Background

Anne Shirley, the red-haired adopted adventuress of Green Gables, has moved from Prince Edward Island (northern Canada) to raise children with her beloved Gilbert Blythe in Glen St. Mary. Gilbert is now a responsible doctor, and no longer the impudent laughing boy who harrowed up Anne's very soul with mischievous methods of getting her attention. They now have seven grown-up children, the last of whom is Rilla - named after the starchily proper Marilla Cuthbert, who adopted Anne reluctantly and ended up loving her in spite of herself. Susan Baker is their loving housekeeper and a part of the family, because even though the children have grown up and are pursuing careers, a doctor's household is never an idle one. Since "Rilla" is historically centered around World War I and its effect on family life, it has the advantage and disadvantage of being set at a particular time in history. "Anne", on the other hand, is both simpler and more memorable for its vague late 19th century setting; the themes of family, adoption and small-town adventure allows it to be more universally understood and applicable.

Digging Deeper

Chapter two admirable sets out all of Rilla's personality traits and flaws - she is a very pretty lily-of-the-field with a flair for the dramatic and little sense of responsibility - but charming all the same. War brings on some personal development early on, because her eldest brother Jem eagerly volunteers for war, while sensitive Walter suffers under a 'coward' label for not wanting to add to the horrors of war. Rilla is torn between feeling proud of Jem's boldness and pity for Walter's poetic imagination, and must put her own dreams on the shelf for a while.

Though Rilla does not outwardly resemble her namesake (Marilla Cuthbert), she undergoes a similar struggle with an adopted war-baby. Again, she is torn between her dislike for babies and their constant needs, and the pity she feels for the child whose parents are dead. Ultimately, she can't bear the thought of the child either being neglected to death by an

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>