From the start, I was far from sure I wanted to commit myself to an audio - taped tale about a gawky 11 year old orphan girl, a little red haired chatterbox who goes on and on about flowers and books other trivia. And within the plot, it was hard to see of what possible value she could be on the farm of the story; a boy at least could have helped with the animals and the fields.

But after a bit, Anne’s penchant for large words and flights of fancy grew on me; and the physical appearance for which she was teased (e.g., the carrot- red hair), only made her stand out against her colorless peers, and like Anne's personality, showed future promise. So, I stuck with Anne – her domestic mishaps, her uncontrolled temper, her development through adolescence, her educational successes, and finally at age ~16, the first stirrings of her recognition that she might have a "friendship" with an actual boy.

“Anne of Green Gables” has delighted young girls for generations; perhaps it still does. I am glad to have made her acquaintance, but in light of her saccharine nature and small experiences, I confess that I'm also glad the abridged audio tape was no longer than 150 minutes. As for the narration, Megan Follows' girlish voice is perfect in tone. ( )