Litsy

ladyvital

Before Green Gables | Budge Wilson

I encourage every lover of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery to read this book.

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lauraisntwilder

The Grace of Wild Things | Heather Fawcett

so-so

This wasn't bad. It didn't feel much like a retelling of Anne of Green Gables though, and the similarities felt more like a distraction than an integral part of the plot. I liked Grace and Sareena. I think I would like to try another of Fawcett's books, one that isn't a retelling.

BarbaraJean I felt much the same. I liked that it didn‘t feel a lot like an AoGG retelling, just with a similar character and some parallels. But there were several moments that felt forced into an Anne mold that they didn‘t really fit! (edited) 6mo

20 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

The Grace of Wild Things | Heather Fawcett

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead Discussion - The Grace of Wild Things

What did you think of the book overall?

Did you enjoy the book on its own merits? Did you like it as an Anne-inspired/Anne-adjacent story?

Anything else you‘d like to discuss?

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair, willaful

rubyslippersreads I enjoyed it, and the AOGG similarities made me like it more. But that last scene with Windweaver broke my heart. 🐦‍⬛😢 6mo

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads Ughhh, yes—that scene was so heartbreaking!! It made sense, but still—added to everything else Grace had been through—😢 6mo

rubyslippersreads Although Grace lost Windweaver, she gained Patrick. However, just like Sareena saying Grace couldn‘t live in the cottage alone, I doubt she would be able to live there with a young man. 6mo

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rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean I couldn‘t have been as unselfish as Grace. 😔 6mo

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads Yes, I loved having what seemed like the Matthew-ish character show up at the end! But Patrick's appearance didn't seem like a workable solution for Grace to stay at the cottage. The ending overall felt too fast and underdeveloped. 6mo

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean Unless the author is planning a series. 6mo

lauraisntwilder I was surprised Grace broke her slate over Poppy's head. That distracted me a little. Actually, I liked the book more when I could ignore the Anne references. It was different enough from the original that I think it stood better on its own feet than when it tried to bring in Avonlea details. 6mo

rubyslippersreads @lauraisntwilder I enjoyed spotting the “Easter eggs,” but at the same time, it took me out of the story a bit when I tried to match things between the two books. 6mo

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads It would definitely make sense if she's planning a series! It would be interesting to see where she would take it, if so. 6mo

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads Yeah, with all of the Anne retellings or “inspired by Anne“ books we've read, the parts that are most distracting to me are the parts that try too hard to match up or directly update scenes from the original. I think I prefer recognizing hints of the original characters I know in different settings and scenarios--it feels more natural to me. 6mo

TheAromaofBooks I also thought the ending was odd and rushed. Maybe if Patrick had appeared as an old man it would have worked, but to have him reappear as only a few years older than Grace - in what world is the village going to find a random teen boy an acceptable guardian for an almost-teen orphan girl?? That just seemed like a weird “solution.“ @rubyslippersreads 6mo

TheAromaofBooks I definitely enjoyed this book the most when it was just its own stores with little flavors of AOGG. Some parts of it just felt weird to me, like is Poppy supposed to be Gilbert, or is Rum? There were moments where it just felt like Fawcett was wedging in an “iconic“ AOGG scene for no real reason, instead of just letting her story go its own way. 6mo

TheAromaofBooks Overall, I liked but didn't love this book. I can seem myself reading another book by Fawcett, but if she wrote a sequel to this particular story, I'm not sure I would rush to pick it up. 6mo

lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks Yes, to the Poppy/Rum thing! That was strange and confusing. 6mo

rubyslippersreads @lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks I agree. I thought maybe Poppy was supposed to be Josie Pye, but the slate thing confused me. Also, was Priscilla supposed to be Prissy Andrews? She seemed to be the only one who shared a name with an AOGG character. 6mo

TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads - That's where the whole “trying to find the AOGG parallels“ felt distracting instead of fun 😂 6mo

20 likes16 comments

BarbaraJean

The Grace of Wild Things | Heather Fawcett

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead Discussion - The Grace of Wild Things

What did you think of Grace‘s ability to see others‘ regrets?

What impact does it have for an orphan to have this ability, as opposed to someone with an established home and parents?

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair, willaful

rubyslippersreads Again, this reminded me a bit of Emily, with her “second sight.” I think it‘s a very unfortunate trait for an orphan to have, because it rules out some otherwise potentially happy homes. (edited) 6mo

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads That‘s another great parallel to Emily. And Emily encountered a little of the same kind of rejection Grace faced, because so many of her family found her “uncanny”—picking up on that otherworldliness she had. I kept thinking how different things would have been for Grace if she‘d been able to grow in her kind of “second sight” within a family—it would be a powerful source of empathy if nurtured in a positive, loving context. 6mo

lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads Yes, this is similar to Emily's second sight, but I hadn't thought of that while I was reading. It's certainly an unfortunate "gift," to conjur everyone's worst memories when they look at you. I think it contributed to Grace's compassionate personsality. 6mo

15 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

The Grace of Wild Things | Heather Fawcett

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead Discussion - The Grace of Wild Things

Did Grace feel Anne-ish to you? Why or why not?

What did you think about the “wicked witch” as a Marilla stand-in? What did you think of her as a character?

Did you enjoy the parallels to AoGG? Which worked or didn‘t work for you?

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair, willaful

rubyslippersreads Grace seemed Anne-ish in her chattering and her history, but she also seemed a bit like Emily of New Moon, with her dark hair and “elfin” appearance. And the Witch seemed like Marilla, hiding her softening feelings. The biggest AOGG similarity to me was Grace/Anne‘s love of the house and her room. (edited) 6mo

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads I like your Emily comparison! I liked how the witch softened toward Grace & their relationship had a lot of that Anne & Marilla flavor. I just had a hard time reckoning with the witch‘s backstory! She absolutely grows to care for Grace and gives her a home, but the story didn‘t seem to adequately handle her past misdeeds—it was just kind of glossed over. And YES—Grace‘s love for the cottage was so very Anne! (edited) 6mo

lauraisntwilder Grace was very Anne-ish (how much would Anne have loved the every flower quilt?), but I don't think the witch was much like Marilla. Marilla and Anne have to grow to leave each other, like the witch and Grace, but Marilla can laugh. The witch is too mean to be like Marilla. 6mo

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rubyslippersreads @lauraisntwilder Yes, the witch is much meaner than Marilla, especially given what she did to Patrick and Frederick. 6mo

TheAromaofBooks I agree @rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder - the witch never felt like she was genuinely regretful or sorry for any of her past bad deeds, and consistently tells Grace that she also has to be willing to basically “do whatever it takes“ if Grace wants to be a successful witch. Marilla always came through as more introvert/set in her ways than mean, so I didn't feel like the witch was really a great reflection of Marilla. 6mo

TheAromaofBooks There were a lot of Anne-ish qualities to Grace, like her love for large words and books, her desire to find a home, and her love for places and nature. But while I did like Grace, I somehow never really connected with her in the way that I have with Anne. Is it just because I've read Anne since I was Anne's age? There just seemed to be something lacking in Grace's character that I can't quite put my finger on. 6mo

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Maybe it‘s just that no one else can write like LMM. 😊 6mo

lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads I think that's a big part of it! 6mo

julieclair Grace reminded me a lot of Anne, with her chatty nature and her exuberance. I agree, @lauraisntwilder , Anne would have loved the flower quilt ( I would, too!). Grace‘s relationship with the witch was like that of Anne and Marilla, but the witch herself was too mean and unrepentant to be like Marilla, as others have said. (edited) 6mo

15 likes9 comments

LitsyEvents

The Grace of Wild Things | Heather Fawcett

Repost for @BarbaraJean

A quick reminder that the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead discussion of The Grace of Wild Things will be on Saturday, October 28! I‘ll post questions mid-morning Pacific Time— join in the discussion when you‘re able! All are welcome—let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be. 😊

LitsyEvents Original post: https://litsy.com/p/ZDZqSmtKUnU3 6mo

38 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

The Grace of Wild Things | Heather Fawcett

A quick reminder that the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead discussion of The Grace of Wild Things will be on Saturday, October 28! I‘ll post questions mid-morning Pacific Time— join in the discussion when you‘re able! All are welcome—let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be. 😊

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, LitsyEvents, julieclair, willaful

rubyslippersreads I‘m enjoying this so far. 6mo

julieclair I‘m loving this book! Looking forward to our discussion. 6mo

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I enjoyed this one. It will be fun to discuss a book I liked with this group for a change 😂 6mo

28 likes1 stack add3 comments

LitsyEvents

The Grace of Wild Things | Heather Fawcett

Repost for @BarbaraJean

Hey Kindred Spirits! The #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead pick for October is The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett—a middle grade “witchy” reimagining of Anne of Green Gables. Our discussion will be on Saturday, October 28. All are welcome—please let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be!

LitsyEvents Original post: https://litsy.com/p/dlpOMElVOGFR 7mo

41 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

The Grace of Wild Things | Heather Fawcett

Hey Kindred Spirits! The #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead pick for October is The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett—a middle grade “witchy” reimagining of Anne of Green Gables. Our discussion will be on Saturday, October 28. All are welcome—please let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be!

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, LitsyEvents, julieclair, willaful

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I'm reading a couple chapters of this one a day - pretty adorable so far! 7mo

julieclair I am loving this book so far! 6mo

22 likes2 comments

LitsyEvents

The Grace of Wild Things | Heather Fawcett

Reposting for @barbarajean
Hey Kindred Spirits! Just a reminder that we‘ll be reading The Grace of Wild Things for the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead in October—and a little preview of the other titles on our list for future months. Please comment if you‘d like to join in for October, and I‘ll add you to the tag list! Our discussion will be Saturday, October 28th. All are welcome.

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