Rilla of Ingleside

The eighth and final book in the series about Anne Shirley. The main character of the book is Rilla Blythe, the youngest daughter of Anne and Gilbert. This is her coming-of-age story during the harsh years of war. The year is 1914, and World War I has begun. Even the remote Ingleside no longer seems like a quiet place; the war has reached here as well. Anne's older boys have gone to the front one by one as volunteers, the girls have gone off to university, and only little Shirley and Rilla remain with their parents. Rilla is not like her parents; she is not interested in studies or household chores; she only wants to have fun. But gradually we see how she grows and develops. Once a frivolous and vain girl, she organizes the Red Cross, takes guardianship of an orphan... This is a kind, sensitive, and courageous story about how people lived during World War I, about their painful expectations and resilience, their optimism and faith, their small joys that overshadow the greatest sorrows.