Wilson's sizable collection of successful children's and young adult books (including The Courtship and Leaving) is one book richer with this release, which provides the authorized backstory to L. M. Montgomery's classic character, Anne of Green Gables. Set in Nova Scotia, the book follows Anne through a string of foster homes full of diapers, dirty dishes, screaming children and endless chores. Orphaned at three months by her schoolteacher parents, she searches for knowledge and love in the chaotic, grueling, unpredictable world she inhabits. Every time Anne is on the brink of finding happiness it's taken away from her, though by the time she's 11 and living with her second (but not last) foster family, the Hammonds, it appears as if Anne's life might be calming down. But after a tragic turn of events, her future is uncertain yet again. Although a little long, the book is a quick read that will keep the reader invested in its compelling characters from start to finish. (Feb.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

Timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, the release of this prequel is sure to cause quite a stir among Anne Shirley fans. A heroine beloved by generations of girls and women, Anne Shirley continues to have a devoted following today. Though purists will object, those who have often imagined Anne's life before Green Gables will devour this backstory. Everyone who ever read the original book remembers hints suggesting that Anne's prior life was no bed of roses, and Canadian author Wilson paints an appropriately bleak portrait of the orphaned Anne's early years. Still, she manages to remain true to the optimistic tone of the original book while relating the hardscrabble  details of Anne's first 12 years. The ready-made audience of women with fond memories of the classic coming-of-age tale will guarantee readership for this imaginative prequel.--Flanagan, Margaret Copyright 2008 Booklist

Nova Scotia-born children's author Wilson gives us the backstory to a classic, imagining little orphan Anne of Green Gables before she found her new family. Look for the 100th-anniversary edition of L.M. Montgomery's beloved work (ISBN 978-0-399-15478-2. $19.95). (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.