When Anne Shirley arrives in quiet Avonlea, everyone is taken by surprise, particularly Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who had been expecting to adopt a boy to help on the farm - not a talkative, red-headed orphan girl with a vivid imagination. Anne is immediately entranced by the beauty of Prince Edward Island, the charm of Green Gables, and the delightful companionship of her new schoolmates - all except mischievous Gilbert Blythe, who becomes her sworn enemy when he makes fun of her red hair. As the years pass, no one in Avonlea, even stern Marilla Cuthbert, can imagine a time without the irrepressible Anne.