Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me

Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me: What My Favorite Book Taught Me about Grace, Belonging, and the Orphan in Us All

Paperback, ebook 

September 1, 2015

by Lorilee Craker 

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale Momentum
• ISBN-13: 978-1496403438

A charming and heartwarming true story for anyone who has ever longed for a place to belong.“Anne of Green Gables,” My Daughter, and Me is a witty romp through the classic novel; a visit to the magical shores of Prince Edward Island; and a poignant personal tale of love, faith, and loss.

And it all started with a simple question: “What’s an orphan?” The words from her adopted daughter, Phoebe, during a bedtime reading of Anne of Green Gables stopped Lorilee Craker in her tracks. How could Lorilee, who grew up not knowing her own birth parents, answer Phoebe’s question when she had wrestled all her life with feeling orphaned―and learned too well that not every story has a happy ending?

So Lorilee set off on a quest to find answers in the pages of the very book that started it all, determined to discover―and teach her daughter―what home, family, and belonging really mean. If you loved the poignancy of Orphan Train and the humor of Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, you will be captivated by “Anne of Green Gables,” My Daughter, and Me. It’s a beautiful memoir that deftly braids three lost girls’ stories together, speaks straight to the heart of the orphan in us all, and shows us the way home at last.

My thoughts: Oh, my, word. .I absolutely loved ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, MY DAUGHTER, AND ME. Let me preface this to say that I do not - as a rule - even remotely like memoirs. And really, that is what this is. But I think Lorilee and I must be kindred spirits. Because while I was not adopted, I came from an Amish family background (very similar to Mennonite), my sister was adopted (and I heard all those adoption stories -- and you know they hurt biological children, too. Especially the comments like "Your parents got to pick out your sister. They had to put up with you." Oh, like I am somehow deficient because I wasn't the 'chosen' child?) I would have loved to have gotten to know Lorilee in Grand Rapids when we lived there,  But that aside, she is funny!

Who doesn't love Anne of Green Gables?  And an adoption story combining her retelling and interpretations of scenes in Anne, mixed with similarities and differences in her own experiences were just simply spellbinding.  I highly recommend ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, MY DAUGHTER, AND ME to anyone who loved Anne, who was touched by adoption, or if they love memoirs (because this one clearly trumps them all.)  Absolutely fantastically wonderful book. 5 stars.