Reviews

Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans by L.M. Montgomery, Rea Wilmshurst

jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition

3.0

These stories are primarily ones that never saw the light of day after being published in magazines in Montgomery's lifetime. There's a reason for that. I love reading more my L.M. Montgomery, but these are not my favorites. Maybe because they're grouped together by theme? The stories get very repetitive. And some of the stories showed up as scenes in her books. Fans of Montgomery should read these, but don't pick this up expecting to fall in love with it.

mnm16's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

emme_faith's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

lilacs_book_bower's review

funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Actually a re-read of one of LMM's short story collections.  The collections are comfort reads for me.  This collection focuses on individuals finding a family/home/sense of belonging, whether it is long lost family or adoptive families, a home, a purpose.  

venusenvy's review

Short stories!  Will read another time!

bethchrissink's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

pixieauthoress's review against another edition

4.0

When reading this collection of stories it is important to remember that they were never intended to be read together. They were all written for publication in magazines and newspapers, often months or years apart. Although I enjoyed reading 'Akin to Anne', I have to admit that perhaps grouping them together by theme might not have been the best idea. Reading the same plot over and over again can be tiresome, so I'm quite glad that I read a different story or two each day for a fortnight. There were some stories that, while being mildly enjoyable, I've probably already forgotten, and others that I thoroughly enjoyed and found very sweet. Below is a list of the stories included in this collection, arranged depending on how much I liked them. I do recommend this book to fans of L. M. Montgomery as each story features her lovely and memorable style of writing. But I'd suggest not to read more than two stories at a time as this can really spoil them. 7/10

Loved:
Charlotte's Quest
The Running Away of Charles
Penelope's Party Waist
Charlotte's Ladies

Enjoyed:
Freda's Adopted Grave
The Girl Who Drove the Cows
Jane Lavinia
Millicent's Double
The Little Black Doll
Her Own People

Average:
Marcella's Reward
An Invitation Given On Impulse
Ted's Afternoon Off
Why Not Ask Miss Price?
The Fraser Scholarship
The Story of an Invitation
The Softening of Miss Cynthia
Margaret's Patient

samiwise's review against another edition

2.0

I liked most of these stories, but I felt that having them all together made their similarities obvious to the point of seeming predictable. I think they would be more enjoyable mixed in with other short story types.

libmiko's review against another edition

3.0

I read this in high school at the Piqua Library, and I hadn't seen a copy anywhere since. I finally ordered it from a used book site. The "Oh, you're the daughter of my half-sibling I lost touch with!" formula gets a little old, but I love the story "Charlotte's Ladies."

heatherliz's review against another edition

3.0

It was cute but after a while it got very repetitive. Here’s the formula:
X has no family. *insert some strange happenstance* X meets Y who gives a little start upon seeing X. Y latter takes X aside and asks about X’s parents. X and Y learn they’re somehow related and X lives with Y happily ever after.