Emily of New Moon - Book Review
This is my very first Book Review Blog Post and I am looking forward to sharing with you some of my thoughts on L.M. Montgomery's book series, Emily of New Moon!
“If it’s in you to climb, you must - there are those who must lift their eyes to the hills - they can’t breathe properly in the valleys.
Emily of New Moon - L.M. Montgomery
There will be no spoilers in this Blog Post, just a few points so you roughly know what happens in the books, but without giving away the big answers! 😊
You may of heard about L.M. Montgomery's work through her famous "Anne of Green Gables" book series, but she also wrote a trilogy book series about an orphan girl named Emily Byrd Starr. Though L.M. Montgomery loved the Anne of Green Gables books, her favourite was Emily of New Moon as she said that Emily's character was more like her own personality than Anne's was. It was interesting to read through the books and notice the little differences Emily's character has to Anne's... they both have very dreamy and imaginative minds and they both have a love for writing (just like L.M. Montgomery herself), but Emily's character was almost more mysterious and her passions and thoughts were kept more to herself than Anne's chatty nature. Emily was also a more stoic person in front of people, but when she writes her worries and thoughts into her diary you see a more deeper side to her.
Emily of New Moon - Book One
I took almost the whole of March to re-read the first book, Emily of New Moon and I enjoyed reading about Emily's early life with her father before he dies and about her life settling in, making new friends and getting used to living with her strict Aunt Elizabeth, sweet Aunt Laura and Uncle Jimmy who are part of the "Murray Clan". A tight knit family, true believers in family traditions and known for their pride and proud nature. 🙂
We meet new friends and family along the way and her love for her best friend, Isle. I felt that Emily and Isle's friendship was loosely alike to Anne's and Diane's friendship, but in reverse. Isle and Emily were always getting into silly little arguments throughout the book as Isle has a fiery temper just like her father, Doctor Burnley.
Teddy and Perry are also introduced into the story and they both become firm friends with Isle and Emily. Teddy is a boy who lives at the Tansy Patch with his quiet mother, Mrs Kent. Not much is known about them and a lot of the village people call his mother "strange." Perry is from Stove Pipe Town who comes up to live at New Moon as a hired boy to help out on the farm.
Emily Climbs - Book Two
In Emily Climbs you read about Emily leaving New Moon too bored with her strict and hard Aunt Ruth while she attends High School in Shrewsbury. All of her old friends are there with her and Isle, Teddy and Perry join her in in her adventures in school life.
Though Aunt Ruth throughout the book was very hard and sometimes "unfeeling" towards Emily, I couldn't help liking her towards the end when she shows her support for Emily and the "Murray Clan" during some trying times during school life and the gossip that circles the town.
We hear more about her friendship with Dean Priest through his letters from travels abroad and his meetings with Emily when he comes home from his far off adventures. Though they are only good friends, gossip starts to rouse in the Murray and Priest Clans… what does Dean actually think about Emily? And is their old friendship vanishing??
Towards the end of Emily Climbs I started to get really into the story and I finished the ending quickly so I could get started with the finale book!! 😊
Emily's Quest - Book Three
Emily's Quest will be hard to write about without spilling too many spoilers for anyone who hasn't read these books yet, but it was such a good book to finish off the series that I just couldn't put it down until the end. I needed to find out what was going to happen to Emily and her friends, Isle, Perry and especially Teddy.
This last book follows Emily finishing High School and deciding to stay at New Moon to start her "hard climb up the Alpine Path to write her name upon the shining scroll of frame" or in other words start her way of becoming a famous writer. Writing novels and poems for magazines, quite like L.M. Montgomery herself!
The story also shows Emily's lonliness as her friends leave one by one to attend colleges overseas and in different towns, while she lives in her writing world. Letters from Teddy are far and few between and when he comes home for his holidays he seems distant. Isle is living in her new world and even though she is her normal gushy self, Emily feels like the old Isle of days gone by will never come again.
After a sudden life change leaves Emily in a haze of sadness and unknowing she agrees to accept an offer, but after many twists and turns she soon realises what she was meant to do.
My Thoughts
L.M. Montgomery definitely lengthened the last book and we only find out what exactly happened to Emily in just a few pages. I do crave to know more about what happens next... sadly there are no other books.
There were so many twists and turns in this book and I did love having the old feeling again about reading such a good book that I couldn't put it down. I have read all three books before about three or four years ago and I roughly remembered what happens in the end, but there were some details I had forgotten so I stayed up way to late one night trying to find answers.
Another touch which I liked in all three books is that L.M. Montgomery shares pieces of Emily's letters, diary entries and poems throughout the books.
All in all I LOVE these books just as much as Anne of Green Gables and they are an enjoyable read. Be careful, for they may keep you up till eleven at night trying to find answers from Emily! Feel free to comment below if you have read the Emily books and what your own thoughts are on them.
I have not read these books, but you make me want to! They sound wonderful, and I love the artwork on the covers. Thanks for this review! It’s inspiring 🩵
Hi Isabella - your book review has inspired me to pick up a book to get lost in - I think I may start with Anne of green gables as it’s one I have known of and never read, then after I may well venture on to these - Thank you for sharing 😊