Marilla of Green Gables: A Novel

I’m an Anne snob and found her story when I was about 4 or 5 in a box of books my mother had won as school prizes. Those hardcovers were constant companions, and to this day there are days when I resign from life and reconnect with my old friends from Avonlea. I’ve known people like Matthew and Marilla – I’ve got family on the island and have seen Green Gables go from rather unknown place to a tourist highlight, cried when the original burned and am happy to see the rebirth of the house for many to share. Prince Edward Island is no longer the ‘slightly removed’ cousin of the mainland, that rural sleepy place of farms and red clay -but there’s an atmosphere on the island, in most places, that is different from the one encountered day to day. To recreate the early 19th century PEI, and imagine how the Marilla we know from the story as a child was a massive undertaking, and in my opinion Sarah McCoy did a lovely job. Some have said there is a mystery around Marilla, and in showing us the more carefree (although that is a descriptive that doesn’t fit so well) child that was Marilla, and the challenges that brought her to be the sister of Matthew, living a quiet life of constrained propriety and undemonstrative duty. Through McCoy’s story, we meet the young Marilla and see the heartaches and discoveries she makes along the way: meeting her aunt, a heretofore unknown twin of her mother, her introduction to Rachel – only a younger version of the outspoken woman we know now. The slow transformation of Matthew into the shy and near silent man who speaks only when his heart and beliefs coincide. And the introduction of John Blythe, progressive and forward thinking in his politics, smart, determined and intrigued with the Marilla he sees: intelligent, thoughtful and curious. The comfort that ALL the Cuthberts share in silence and quiet, the steadying influence of maintaining an even keel. The building of Marilla’s story was beautifully wrought and every moment allowed a clear connection to the Marilla of Anne’s first encounter, and the heart that lay deep within – perhaps a bit awed by the freedom of Anne’s expression of emotions. But life for Marilla took a different turn, and a promise made in the moment to take care of Green Gables, her father and brother was translated in that young brain to become the obligation of her life. Yes, things worked well for she and Matthew, and the choices made by each was influenced by their own hearts and all they had come to believe, from their parents, the church and the society around them. With a lovely inset about the Underground Railroad and the beginnings of the Civil War in the US – after an eye-opening visit to the orphanage where Marilla and Rachel were delivering donations, Marilla learned about the greater world and issues that never had a face for her soon had one. There is a constancy in the character of Marilla that one has to remember and honor (as McCoy has done) that spirit that kept the ‘mistake’ back from the orphanage, and nurtured that young woman in the safety and security of Avonlea. In the closing, McCoy says she hopes readers of Anne will understand and appreciate what she tried to do here. She didn’t simply try – she succeeded in creating a solid backstory that completely fit the Marilla we have all come to know from L.M. Montgomery’s pen, and given a new understanding and appreciation for both she and Matthew. As the stories of Marilla and John seem to follow a pattern in Anne and Gilbert’s relationship, the gentle pushes from Marilla to Anne are reminiscent of Matthew’s to Marilla some years earlier. McCoy’s character building is lovely, she recaptured the voices of Rachel, Marilla and Matthew, and gave fans of the series some historic context for their childhoods while allowing for their growth and development in a way that fits nicely into the world that is Anne.

This book is amazing! I began reading it and immediately determined it was one of my favorites of all time. McCoy does not shy away from harsh reality and channels the style of Montgomery in a way that I did not think was possible. it was very obvious that McCoy took her research on every subject seriously. I devoured the book during a twice cross continental trip. About the reviewer: Archives Science and Library Science Dual Master's student at the University of British Columbia.

I never wanted to have this story end! Sarah McCoy transports you right into Marilla's world. It was the first time in a long time that I laughed & cried - out loud - from reading this most fabulous book!!