When elderly siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert decide to adopt an orphan boy, they expect someone strong enough to help on their farm, Green Gables, in the quiet community of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. Matthew drives to the station and instead finds Anne Shirley, a thin, red-haired eleven-year-old girl overflowing with imagination and words. Anne has endured neglect, hard work, and a lonely life in foster homes and an orphan asylum. She has protected herself by inventing beauty wherever she could. Matthew is immediately won over, but Marilla insists that a mistake has been made.

On the journey back to the orphanage, Marilla begins to recognize how much Anne wants a permanent home. She also learns that sending Anne to another household may expose her to more exploitation. Marilla agrees to keep her, intending to provide firm discipline, while Matthew quietly becomes Anne’s devoted ally. Anne renames ordinary places—the Avenue becomes the White Way of Delight, and Barry’s Pond becomes the Lake of Shining Waters—revealing how imagination can transform a landscape into a home.

Anne’s arrival disrupts Avonlea’s settled expectations. When outspoken neighbour Rachel Lynde criticizes her red hair and appearance, Anne explodes with an elaborate insult. Marilla requires her to apologize, beginning a long education in self-control. Anne is impulsive and theatrical, but she is also honest about her feelings and capable of genuine remorse. Rachel eventually becomes fond of her, as do many adults…