Matthew Cuthbert, an elderly bachelor, and his spinster sister, Marilla, want to adopt a sturdy little boy to help with chores on their Prince Edward Island farm. The orphanage mistakenly sends a girl. Anne Shirley is a romantic, mischievous redhead desperate for a home and a family. She is also afflicted with an exhausting habit: she cannot stop talking. Her vivid imagination causes her to encounter one mishap after another. Loyal and kindhearted, however, Anne is soon accepted as a "kindred spirit" to Matthew and Marilla and grows up a spirited and intelligent young woman.