Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (#8 in the Anne of Green Gables series)

 I enjoyed this story of the days leading up to World War I and how these Canadians persevered through the four years of war. Rilla is Anne's youngest child, and the most like her, in spirit, I think. We get to know Walter better, and Susan, the loyal house manager, gets a larger role. It was very interesting to read about how the war news was shared, how telephones and mail were shared, and how the community pulled together. How the women were busy knitting, knitting, knitting, and everyone was writing long letters...Of course this is fiction, but I imagine much of it was typical of the life and times. 

This book got a little heavy and redundant, but that's because the war and the news were heavy and redundant. I loved the development of Rilla's love for her war baby, and admired the way Montgomery illustrates good parenting. For example, Anne and Gilbert leave Rilla to work it all out by herself, and sure enough, her love grows. 

It was also interesting to read about the devotion these people had for their siblings. They didn't have a lot of distractions, although food prep and travel were big time users, still, they spend hours becoming intimate friends who feel the loss of each other keenly. That was very sweet to read about, and made me yearn a little for a simpler time. 

I wondered about how satisfying it might have been for Rilla to discover a desire to become more than Kenneth Ford's wife...but that was appropriate then, and is appropriate now, if it includes raising a family. Homemaking is a huge, fine art, but would feel empty without children. And a desire for education to do it better wouldn't have been out of line. I just think, no author today would end Rilla's tremendous growth and story with such a submissive "Yeth."