From Marilyn’s Shelf – Anne and Me

To me the joy of reading is, in part, becoming immersed in the story and being transported to the actual location and time period relating to the main character.

When I was 8, I was introduced to Anne, a character in the fictional book, Anne of Green Gables written by Lucy Maud Montgomery. How I loved Anne!!! She was an orphan who was adventurous, strong-willed and determined. I thought how brave she was traveling to a farm, Green Gables, on Prince Edward Island to meet her new family, only to feel their disappointment because she was not a boy. I could imagine how rejected she felt.

From Marilyn’s Shelf – Anne and Me

I related to Anne because, I too lost my mother at a very young age. I always felt Anne understood a bit of what I was feeling. I believed she gave me some of her courage and confidence.

Over 15 years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Prince Edward Island, the birthplace of Lucy Maud Montgomery. What a special time it was for me. As I walked through the gardens, I wondered what it would have been like for Anne to explore her new home as she picked flowers and braided them throughout her hair.

I believe books can transport us to magical places and for me, Anne was the person I needed to meet.

Marilyn

#AnneOfGreenGables #LucyMaudMontgomery #Marilyn #MarilynSShelf #ReaderInResidence

Welcoming Marilyn, Reader in Residence

Marilyn’s Shelf Opens in Rebecca’s Reading Room

I will be on a brief holiday for the next three weeks, returning at the end of May, so you may notice that my scheduled posts will have comments closed during that time. But before I go, I wanted to share a new initiative for Rebecca’s Reading Room — Reader in Residence. One of the quiet joys of a reading room is that it is never shaped by one voice alone, but enriched by the thoughts, memories, and discoveries of others. I am excited!! I look forward to sharing more with you in the weeks and months ahead.

Marilyn and Me

My friend Marilyn has been part of my life for close to fifty years. Though we have lived in different provinces, (I live in British Columbia and Marilyn lives in Alberta) distance has never lessened the presence of one another in our lives. She is an avid reader, one of those rare people who carries books not as decoration, but as companions. Libraries and bookshops are places she enters with delight. When she travels, there are always two or three books tucked into her bag, waiting their turn.

It is my pleasure to welcome Marilyn to Rebecca’s Reading Room as our Reader in Residence. Today I am delighted to share her first reflection in her own words.

From Marilyn’s Shelf: First Entry

When Rebecca first spoke to me about her ideas for Rebecca’s Reading Room, I was very intrigued.

Reading has always been such a key part of my life. I remember, as an early student, experiencing comfort, adventure and suspense by reading books and dreaming of what mystery I could perhaps solve. My country school used to subscribe to the Scholastic Book Club. I remember looking forward, with anticipation, to the day the flyer would arrive at school. I would briefly search through the flyer putting a star beside the books that piqued my interest. Later, when I got home from school, I would spend hours going through that flyer and reading the highlights of every book I had put a star beside. I knew that I would only be allowed to select a couple of books to purchase so I had to make sure that my choices were the exact ones I wanted until the next flyer arrived.

I look back now and understand that those books brought me such joy. Living in a small town those adventures through books made me feel confident that there were so many opportunities ahead of me.

Today when going into a library or book store I still feel that same sense of anticipation. I know that each book I read will draw me in to experience the joy, heart break, and desire to solve a mystery that I felt so many years ago.

Marilyn

Marilyn’s Shelf

#Marilyn #MarilynSShelf #ReaderInResidence #RebeccaSReadingRoom