I don’t have red hair, but I’ve always felt as if Canadian orphan Anne Shirley was my kindred spirit, even so.
From the moment we see her telling Matthew about her carpetbag, to the moment when, several books later, she FINALLY marries Gil, Anne lives and breathes as if she were a real person, thanks to the skill of Lucy Maud Montgomery.
I read the series the first time as a very young girl, and the second time just before I got married, and each time I felt as if I got something new from the books, even if it was just some new nuance of Anne’s speech, or an extra bobble of her braids.
The spunky redhead with the active imagination is always with me now, as happens with good characters.
Books! What a role they played in our home.
“Don’t tell me you are bored”, my mother would admonish,”go read a book!”
And other times ” You always have your nose in a book, go get some fresh air.”
Fresh air and books, those were my mother ‘s recurring themes.
And so I cannot be without a book, and if I am at a cafe, the beach or waiting anywhere I have a book.
And on days when I don’t have a new book to read I’ll read an old favoite. sort of like re-runs but better, no commercials.
When Melissa was a sprite with two bouncng braids, thick glasses and the vocabulary of Miss Ann Shirley, she was never without a book.
I would call out to her in the morning to encourage her to get through her bathroom routine and come down for breakfast.
Finally, sounding just like my mother I would say ” Miss Melissa Annette put the book down!” her response ” Moooom, I am not reading!” And then I would here the clunk of a book being dropped.
Living in La Paz, Baja California Sur, where there is one bookstore with limited to no English language books, no libraries and it is near impossible to have books mailed, makes the desert we live in feel more bare and dry. When clients and friends say they are coming and ask for a list of essential items for themselves, and something I might like, I always say BOOKS! And they bring them, their favorites or a recent bestselle or a specific genre or author that I request.
Powell’s Books in Portland will send books to Mexcio without freight charges. We have tested it, the system works.But it takes weeks.
There is not a big culture of reading, whether it be for busines, research or pleasure, especially pleasure, among the local Pacenos ( La Paz natives). My Spanish teacher said she is amazed that wherever she goes in town, and especially in cafes and at the beach, Americans and other foreginers are alays reading. She thought it was nice, but wondered why people would travel to a foreign country just to read!
Those of us that read, and cannot bear to be without a book in progress (or two) need to promote reading to children the world over. Melissa your choice of charity for this year’s blogathon has made me proud again.