Emily Byrd Starr facts for kids

Emily Byrd Starr is a fictional character created by Lucy Maud Montgomery. She is the main character in the popular book series: Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, and Emily's Quest.

The books follow Emily's life from when she is ten years old until she is twenty-eight. She starts as a small, dark-haired child with a big imagination and a love for writing. The series ends with her as a grown-up and a professional writer. Emily faces many tough times. She deals with dangerous situations, the loss of loved ones, romantic feelings, and her dream of becoming famous.

Throughout the three novels, Emily grows up as an orphan. She lives with her strict, old-fashioned relatives, the Murrays. Emily loves the farm, called New Moon. She adores Aunt Laura and "Cousin Jimmy" Murray. But she has a difficult relationship with her bossy Aunt Elizabeth.

Emily enjoys a close friendship with Dean Priest, a distant relative. They are briefly engaged in the last book. Emily eventually marries her childhood friend, Teddy Kent. Her best friend, Ilse Burnley, marries another friend, Perry Miller. Perry was also the chore boy at New Moon in the first book.

In the series, Emily often thinks about what it means to be a writer and a woman. She has strong ideas about what she wants to achieve. As a Murray and a woman from New Moon, she often protects her pride and reputation. Sometimes this is more important to her than her own happiness.

Emily's Story: How It Began

Emily's Family Background

Emily is the daughter of Douglas Starr, a journalist who wasn't rich. Her mother was Juliet Murray, from an important family. Juliet's family didn't approve of her marrying Douglas. They turned away from her when the young couple ran off together. Juliet died when Emily was four years old. Emily's beloved father dies from a serious illness at the start of the first book. Emily is ten years old then. Emily is then taken in by her mother's half-sisters. They are part of a well-known family in the fictional town of Blair Water.

Emily Starr is described as tall and slender. She has pale skin, black hair, and unique grayish-purple eyes, which are called 'smoke-purple'.

Emily of New Moon: A New Home

Emily is introduced as a ten-year-old girl living with her sick and poor father. Her mother had passed away several years earlier. When her father dies, Emily is taken in by her mother's family. She moves to New Moon, her mother's ancestral home, in Blair Water. Emily immediately falls in love with New Moon. She soon grows to love her guardians: Aunt Elizabeth, Aunt Laura, and Cousin Jimmy. However, she always has a tough relationship with the old-fashioned and stubborn Aunt Elizabeth.

Emily experiences a big change moving to New Moon. She eventually makes friends at school. One friend, Rhoda Stuart, later shows she was only interested in Emily's family status. At school, Emily meets Ilse Burnley, a neighbor and distant relative. Ilse is an unusual tomboy, and they become best friends throughout the series. Emily also meets Perry Miller, the hired chore boy at New Moon, and Frederick Kent, known as Teddy, who lives nearby.

Emily Climbs: Reaching for Dreams

Emily Climbs starts right after Emily of New Moon ends.

Emily finally gets permission to go to Shrewsbury High School. This helps her continue her education. In her mind, it helps her chase her dream of becoming an author. Her friends Ilse, Perry, and Teddy go to high school with her. Each of the four friends has a dream they are working towards. Emily wants to be a famous writer. Ilse wants to be an elocutionist (someone who speaks well). Teddy wants to be an artist. Perry wants to be a business person or politician.

Emily makes new friends and some enemies. She goes through various challenges and has many successes. She even has her first writings published. While studying at high school, she lives with her aunt, Ruth Dutton. Aunt Ruth is a strict guardian. She often suspects Emily of keeping secrets and never trusts her easily. However, Aunt Ruth does help Emily when she needs it most.

A woman from the island, Miss Royal, offers to take Emily to New York. She promises to help Emily with her writing career. But Emily chooses to stay in rural Prince Edward Island and work from her beloved New Moon. The book ends with the four friends graduating. They make plans for their futures. Emily goes home to New Moon to focus on her writing. Ilse and Teddy go to Montreal to study speaking and art. Perry gets a job as a law clerk in Charlottetown. He expects to be successful there, and he eventually is.

Emily's Quest: Finding Love and Success

In Emily's Quest, Emily's Murray relatives finally see her as "grown up." She writes all the time. She sends her stories and poems to magazines, and many of them get published. Later in the book, Emily has a novel published, and it receives great praise.

Emily spends a lot of time trying to get Dean Priest's approval for her writing. She values his opinion highly because he is smart, witty, and well-traveled. However, Dean, who has loved Emily for a long time, is jealous of her dedication to her 'art'. He tells Emily that her stories are 'pretty, childish scribbles'. When he says her first unpublished novel is weak, she burns it. Afterward, feeling very upset, Emily trips and falls down the stairs at New Moon. The fall itself isn't very serious. But Emily's foot is pierced by scissors left on the landing. She nearly dies from a serious infection. She only avoids amputation because Aunt Elizabeth insists she not be harmed.

Dean shows great care and affection after her accident. Emily, thinking that Teddy Kent no longer cares for her, agrees to marry Dean. This shocks and displeases both their families. Dean is wealthy and cultured, but he is old enough to be her father and has a disability. However, after a special feeling that tells her she 'belongs' to Teddy, Emily realizes she doesn't love Dean the way he loves her. She breaks off the engagement.

After the breakup, Emily starts writing again after a long break. She writes a story in parts (which becomes a new novel) to entertain Aunt Elizabeth, who is injured and temporarily stuck in bed. Thanks to Cousin Jimmy, the novel is published several months later. Emily's artistic dreams come true. But her pride in her achievements doesn't protect her from the pain and shock of Ilse Burnley getting engaged to Teddy Kent. Emily is still too proud to admit her feelings for Teddy. As a bridesmaid, she helps Ilse with the wedding plans. On the morning of the wedding, Ilse hears that Perry is dying after a car accident. Ilse leaves Teddy moments before their wedding. She goes to Perry, who is very much alive, contrary to the rumor. Ilse and Perry admit their feelings for each other. Later, they get married quietly.

After many years of misunderstandings, Emily and Teddy finally find each other. They become betrothed at the end of this, the final book in the series.

Emily's Story on Screen

Television Show

Emily of New Moon was a Canadian television series from 1998. It was based on the books. The show starred Canadian actress Martha MacIsaac as Emily Byrd Starr.

Anime Series

In April 2007, the novels were made into a 26-episode animated television series in Japan. It was called Kaze no Shoujo Emily. The series was made by NHK and Tokyo Movie Shinsha. In the series, Emily's voice was done by Japanese voice actress Tomoko Kawakami.

Images for kids

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  Illustration by Maria Louise Kirk for the first edition of "Emily of New Moon"