Rainbow Valley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rainbow Valley

First edition
Author	Lucy Maud Montgomery
Country	Canada
Language	English
Series	Anne of Green Gables
Genre	Children's Literature
Publisher	Frederick A. Stokes
Publication date	1919
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
Preceded by	Anne of Ingleside
Followed by	Rilla of Ingleside

Rainbow Valley is a book from 1919 by Lucy Maud Montgomery. It is the seventh book in the story of Anne of Green Gables. However, it was the fifth book that was published. In this book, the main characters are Anne Shirley's six children. The story also focuses on the children of a new neighbor, Minister John Meredith. This book was inspired by Montgomery's own life. She lived in a place called the Leaskdale Manse, where she wrote many of her books.

The book is dedicated to three young men: Goldwin Lapp, Robert Brookes, and Morley Shier. They gave their lives during World War I. This war is a big part of the next book in the series, Rilla of Ingleside.

What Happens in Rainbow Valley?

Anne Shirley has been married to Gilbert Blythe for 15 years. They have six children: Jem, Walter, Nan, Di, Shirley, and Rilla.

After a trip, Anne hears that a new minister has moved to Glen St. Mary. His name is John Meredith. He is a widower, meaning his wife has passed away. He has four young children: Gerald (Jerry), Faith, Una, and Thomas Carlyle (Carl).

The Meredith Children

The Meredith children have not been raised very well since their mother died. Their father is often busy thinking about religious topics. Many families in the village think the children are wild and cause trouble. They often hear only bad things about them. This makes people wonder if Mr. Meredith is a good parent. They also question if he is a good minister.

For most of the book, only the Blythe family knows how kind and loyal the Meredith children truly are. They even rescue an orphaned girl named Mary Vance. They find her starving and help her find a home. When the children get into trouble, Faith sometimes tries to explain. But this often causes even more problems.

Rainbow Valley and the Good-Conduct Club

The Merediths, the Blythes, and Mary Vance often play in a special hollow. They call this place Rainbow Valley. It becomes a favorite meeting spot for all the children. Jem Blythe tries to help the Merediths behave better. He starts a "Good-Conduct Club." In this club, the Merediths punish themselves for doing wrong things.

But their self-imposed punishments cause problems. Carl gets very sick with pneumonia. He spent hours in a wet graveyard as a punishment. Una faints in church after fasting all day. When these things happen, John Meredith feels very guilty. He realizes he has not been a good father.

A New Mother for the Merediths

Mr. Meredith understands he should marry again. He wants his children to have a mother. He thought he would never love anyone after his wife died. But he is surprised to fall in love with Rosemary West. She is a woman in her late thirties. She lives with her older sister, Ellen.

John asks Rosemary to marry him. But Ellen tells Rosemary she cannot accept. Years ago, they promised each other they would never leave one another. This promise was made after their parents passed away.

However, Ellen later meets her childhood friend, Norman Douglas. He asks Rosemary to let Ellen break her promise. This way, Ellen can marry Norman. Rosemary agrees. But now she thinks John Meredith hates her.

Una, one of the Meredith children, hears her father talking about Rosemary. Una goes to ask Rosemary to marry her father. Una was worried about stepmothers because Mary Vance told her they are always mean. Rosemary makes Una feel better. She agrees to talk to John Meredith again. They get engaged. Rosemary and Ellen plan a double wedding for the autumn.

Meet the Characters

The Ingleside Children

James Matthew "Jem" Blythe: Jem is named after Captain Jim and Anne's foster father, Matthew Cuthbert. He has curly red hair and hazel eyes. Jem is strong and dependable. He likes to explore and learn about nature and people. He is a leader at school. Jem starts the 'Good-Conduct Club' with the Manse children. He is almost fifteen and is studying for college.

Walter Cuthbert Blythe: Walter is named after Anne's birth father. He is considered the most handsome of the children. He has straight black hair. Walter prefers reading books to playing sports. He has a vivid imagination, like his mother. Walter dreams of becoming a poet. He shares his poems with his sister, Di. The boys at school respect Walter for his "book talk." He even fights Dan Reese when Dan insults his family. Walter has a vision of 'The Piper' leading young men to war. This vision comes true in the next book, Rilla of Ingleside.

Anne "Nan" Blythe: Nan is one of the Ingleside twins. She has beautiful nut-brown eyes and hair. She is very pretty and knows it. Nan has many friends. She also has her mother's imagination, which makes life exciting but sometimes gets her into trouble. Nan is named after her mother. She seems to like Jerry Meredith.

Diana "Di" Blythe: Di is the other Ingleside twin. She is named after Anne's childhood friend, Diana. She looks a lot like her mother, with red hair and gray-green eyes. Di is very close to Walter. He tells her his secrets and lets her read his poetry. Di is practical and has common sense, like her father. She also has a fun sense of humor. Di wishes her hair was not red. She is very loyal to her brothers and sisters. Her nickname is pronounced "Die."

Shirley Blythe: Anne was very sick after Shirley was born. So, the housekeeper, Susan Baker, took care of him. Shirley calls Susan 'Mother Susan.' He is quiet and likes to play alone. He has brown eyes, hair, and skin. Shirley is said to be like Gilbert's father, John. Shirley was named after Anne's maiden name.

Bertha Marilla "Rilla" Blythe: Rilla is the youngest of Anne's children. She is named after Anne's birth mother Bertha and her adoptive mother Marilla. She was a plump baby and stayed that way until she was seven. She has red hair, like her mother, which later turns reddish-brown. Rilla is very proud and dislikes being teased. She has a crush on Kenneth Ford. Rilla has a lisp, which her mother thinks she will outgrow. Rilla wants to have a good time. In the last book of the series, Rilla grows into a mature young woman.

The Manse Children

Gerald "Jerry" Meredith: Jerry is twelve at the start of the book. He has his father's black hair and big black eyes. He is very smart and is good friends with Jem and Walter. He seems to like Nan. Jerry is very close to Faith.

Faith Meredith: Faith is eleven when the book begins. She has golden-brown curls, rosy cheeks, and golden-brown eyes. She is very positive and laughs a lot. Faith thinks in a unique way. She had a pet rooster named Adam, but he was accidentally cooked for dinner. She later gets a canary from Rosemary West. Faith seems to like Jem and is good friends with Nan. Faith is also very careless. She often had to be punished by the 'Good-Conduct Club.' The club was a plan the children made to punish themselves for bad actions. It ended because the punishments became too extreme. Faith once went to church without stockings as a punishment. She is closest to Jerry.

Una Meredith: Una is ten at the start of the book. She is small and dreamy, like her father. She has straight black hair and dark blue eyes that look a little sad. She is sensitive to what others think. Una is the only one who tries to keep their house clean. She misses her mother more than her siblings do. She seems to have a small crush on Walter. Una is the most thoughtful and caring of the Manse children. She is frail and once fainted in church.

Thomas Carlyle "Carl" Meredith: Carl has his dead mother's clear blue eyes and brown hair with gold hints. He is nine at the beginning of the book. He loves and is curious about bugs and animals. He often brings them to his bed or puts them in his pockets. Anne believes he will become an environmentalist. Carl has been very sick many times.

Mary Vance: Mary is a bold girl with light-colored hair and light blue eyes. The Meredith children find her in a barn. They take her home and care for her. She is later adopted by Miss Cornelia. Mary is about twelve when she is introduced. She used to live with a cruel Mrs. Wiley who whipped her. The Manse and Blythe children don't like her very much, but they are kind to her. They are amazed by her boasting and swearing.

The Anne of Green Gables Series

Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote more books about Anne Shirley. Here they are listed by Anne's age in each story.

Some other books also feature Anne Shirley, but she is not the main character.

See also

In Spanish: El valle del Arco Iris para niños