Summary
Summary of Emily of New Moon
Key ideas
Key idea 1
Emily wants to become a writer
Emily Byrd Starr has one fierce wish: to become a writer. After losing her father, she is sent to a proud old farmhouse on Prince Edward Island, where stern aunts, a dreamy cousin and new friends become part of her world. Her gift meets a family that cannot easily understand it.
The story puts her wish beside her need for a home. Emily must find room for her imagination among people whose expectations are very different from her own.
Key idea 2
The family decides where Emily belongs
Start free to read
Key idea 3
New Moon holds rules and kindness
Start free to read
Key idea 4
Writing keeps her father close
Start free to read
Key idea 5
Friends bring different gifts and hopes
Start free to read
Key idea 6
Understanding does not always mean safety
Start free to read
Key idea 7
Family pride can protect and wound
Start free to read
Key idea 8
Emily's attention gives the world meaning
Start free to read
Key idea 9
A gift grows through daily attention
Start free to read
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
For readers who love coming-of-age stories, old farmhouses and the growth of a creative life, especially anyone who has ever wanted to write.
What this book is
What if the one thing you want most is the one thing your family cannot understand? Emily of New Moon, published in 1923 by L. M. Montgomery, the creator of Anne of Green Gables, follows a gifted girl with one fierce wish, to become a writer. Emily Byrd Starr loses her father and is sent to a proud old farmhouse on Prince Edward Island. There she meets stern aunts, a dreamy cousin and three friends. Montgomery draws on her own strict childhood and her journals, so every struggle rings true.
In this summary
- 1A child who sees what others missFree
- 2The Murrays decide Emily's future
- 3New Moon and its strict rules
- 4Letters to a father who cannot answer
- 5Ilse, Teddy and Perry: three friendships
- 6Dean Priest and the pull of a mentor
- 7Pride, shame and the Murray world
- 8What the story is really about
- 9How Montgomery tells the tale
Key point 1 of 9
A child who sees what others miss
Emily is ten and lives with her father, Douglas Starr, who is ill with consumption. Her mother has died. Emily notices the light on a field and the wind in the trees, and she feels the world is full of secret beauty.
She has a private name for the moment when beauty breaks over her. She calls it the flash. It comes without warning, and afterward she longs to catch it in words. She tries to put that beauty into words.
Her father reads her scribbles with care and never laughs. He treats them as real work, so Emily learns early that imagination is a gift. Her mother's proud Murray family once cut her off for marrying a poor man, and Emily is about to be handed to them.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
- Nothing to pay today · Renews every year
- We email you before you pay
- Cancel online in two clicks
Check yourself
What is Emily's central ambition?
Right. “Emily of New Moon, published in 1923 by L. M. Montgomery, the creator of Anne of Green Gables, follows a gifted girl with one fierce wish, to become a writer.”Not quite. “Emily of New Moon, published in 1923 by L. M. Montgomery, the creator of Anne of Green Gables, follows a gifted girl with one fierce wish, to become a writer.”
Why does Aunt Elizabeth clash with Emily over her writing?
Right. “Aunt Elizabeth reads what Emily wrote about the family, and a painful clash follows.”Not quite. “Aunt Elizabeth reads what Emily wrote about the family, and a painful clash follows.”
Why does Dean Priest's attention call for caution?
Right. “Yet Montgomery hints that his attention may be more complicated than simple friendship, and that his hold on her may not be wholly safe.”Not quite. “Yet Montgomery hints that his attention may be more complicated than simple friendship, and that his hold on her may not be wholly safe.”
Who’s who
- Emily Byrd Starr
- An imaginative girl determined to write, Emily struggles to preserve her independence among her strict Murray relatives.
- Aunt Elizabeth Murray
- Emily's stern aunt governs New Moon, expecting her niece to respect the family's traditions and demanding standards.
- Aunt Laura Murray
- Elizabeth's gentler sister offers Emily affection and understanding within the strict household at New Moon.
- Cousin Jimmy Murray
- A kindly relative who makes verses, Jimmy offers Emily friendship and encouragement within the Murray household.
- Ilse Burnley
- A doctor's spirited, quick-tempered daughter, Ilse becomes Emily's close friend despite their different temperaments.
- Teddy Kent
- A quiet boy with a gift for drawing, Teddy shares Emily's artistic interests and becomes her friend.
- Perry Miller
- The proud hired boy at New Moon, Perry befriends Emily while nurturing ambitions beyond his circumstances.
- Dean Priest
- A widely read man much older than Emily, Dean becomes her friend and takes her literary ambitions seriously.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 119,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 7 h 55 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 12 other languages
Questions about Emily of New Moon
What is Emily of New Moon about?
It tells of Emily Byrd Starr, an orphaned girl who goes to live with her strict Murray relatives on Prince Edward Island and fights to become a writer while learning to belong in a proud family.
Is Emily of New Moon a sequel to Anne of Green Gables?
No. It is a separate story. Both books were written by L. M. Montgomery and are set on Prince Edward Island, but Emily's tale is more serious in tone.
What is the flash in Emily of New Moon?
The flash is Emily's name for a sudden moment of wonder, when beauty seems to break through ordinary things. It stands for artistic inspiration, and she longs to capture it in words.
Is Emily of New Moon based on a true story?
It is fiction, published in 1923. Montgomery drew on her own life, including her strict upbringing, her love of the island and her habit of writing journals, but Emily and her family are invented.
Is Emily of New Moon worth reading for adults?
Yes, if you enjoy thoughtful coming-of-age novels. It is warm and funny, yet also serious about grief, family pride and creative ambition. Its style is simple, so it is easy to read.
