After her beloved father dies, ten-year-old Emily Starr is an orphan. Her mother's family, the Murrays, are respectable, proud, and not sure what to do with this dreamy, sharp-tongued child. They decide she'll go to New Moon Farm to live with her strict Aunt Elizabeth and gentler Aunt Laura. Emily's heart is broken, and she arrives feeling like an outsider. New Moon is beautiful, but it comes with rules, chores, and Aunt Elizabeth's firm belief that Emily's fanciful ways and ambition to be a writer are nonsense.

The Story

The book follows Emily as she grows up at New Moon. We see her navigate school, make friends (and enemies), and clash with her aunt over everything from her scribbled "poetical effusions" to her choice of companions. Emily isn't perfect—she can be stubborn and holds fierce grudges. But she's also loyal, observant, and feels things deeply. The plot is a series of small adventures and misadventures: a feud with a classmate, a dangerous illness, secret friendships, and her first steps toward getting her writing published. The central thread is Emily's fight to keep her unique voice alive in a world that wants to quiet it.

Why You Should Read It

While Anne Shirley is all sunshine and chatter, Emily is moonlight and quiet intensity. Montgomery gets inside the head of a creative child like no one else. You feel Emily's burning shame when she's scolded, her joy in a perfect sunset, and her absolute conviction that she must write. The supporting characters are just as vivid, from stern-but-fair Aunt Elizabeth to Emily's kindred spirit, the storyteller Mr. Carpenter. It's a slower, more introspective book than Anne of Green Gables, but in some ways, it feels more real and poignant.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for anyone who loved the world of Green Gables but is ready for a story with a little more shadow and depth. It's for the quiet kids, the writers, the artists, and anyone who remembers the fierce passions of childhood. If you appreciate character-driven stories about finding your place without losing yourself, you'll treasure Emily. Don't expect big plot twists; the magic is in the details of a sensitive girl's heart and mind as she learns to bloom where she's planted.