Anne is now a mother of six spirited children – little Jem, who made his appearance in Anne’s House of Dreams, is big brother to Walter, twins Nan and Di, little brother Shirley, and (born in this book) baby sister Rilla.  Anne’s days are full as she juggles the social demands of being a busy doctor’s wife with her motherly joys – telling stories, answering (seemingly endless) childish questions, soothing bumps and bruises, receiving fresh-picked bouquets, and providing infinite love.  The story bounces back and forth between Anne’s life and that of her increasingly independent children.  Each of the kids gets a chapter or two devoted to their adventures, and we’re also treated to plenty of time observing Anne’s daily life, gossiping with Miss Cornelia and Susan Baker, and smiling over the foibles of the Glen St. Mary residents.  There’s also plenty of comedy with the interminable visit of Gilbert’s Aunt Mary Maria, and the way the Ingleside clan finally gets rid of her is pure gold.

Anne’s life seems charmed, but when Gilbert becomes more and more distracted, she begins to worry that his love for her is fading.  After they encounter Christine Stuart (Gilbert’s old friend from his days at Redmond College) at a particularly unpleasant social event, Anne’s jealousy skyrockets (she rather cattily observes that Christine has put on weight and has no children, whereas she, Anne, has six and is still svelte… not Anne’s finest moment) and she also begins to worry that she has been taking Gilbert’s love for granted.  I won’t tell you how it all resolves, but rest assured (spoiler alert!) Gilbert loves Anne as much as the day they were married.

Since I’ve proclaimed that I have four favorites or near-favorites in this series (Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne’s House of Dreams, and Rilla of Ingleside) it seems only fair that I should admit that Anne of Ingleside is my least favorite Anne story.  I always love reading about Anne and her brood, of course, but I find the story a little disjointed, what with bouncing back and forth between Anne and the kids, and frankly, Anne’s attitude toward Christine (who isn’t the nicest person in the world, but let’s not fat-shame) and Gilbert bugs me a bit.  But I still love these characters and this setting.  So to say that Anne of Ingleside is my least favorite installment just means that I adore it very slightly less than the other seven, but I still adore it plenty.

I’m submitting this review of Anne of Ingleside, by L.M. Montgomery, to the Classics Club Blog as part of the Classics Club Challenge.  You can buy Anne of Ingleside, by L.M. Montgomery, here, or support your local indie bookstore.  (These are not affiliate links.)