In 1945, widowed Anne Shirley Blythe has returned to Green Gables to write a new play. There, she discovers some old letters hidden beneath the floorboards, the letters which shape both her play and make her reminisce about her childhood before her original arrival at Green Gables. Anne was never orphaned, but rather abandoned by her father, Walter Shirley, after a devastating accident which killed Anne’s mother, Bertha. Living in several harsh situations, Anne spent much of her time post-abandonment at the home of Amelia Thomas, the mother-in-law of Louisa Thomas, Bertha’s widowed best friend. Amelia was a stern businesswoman – she owned a series of mills – who was in constant battles with the bank, her workers many who wanted to unionize, and other business owners who wanted to take over her business. Anne was torn between blood loyalty and the loyalty to Mrs. Thomas. Both the discovery at Green Gables and her reminiscences make Anne try to reconnect physically with her past, some of which she is only now discovering.