Anne Shirley

Sara Stanley is the young, loveable, imaginative protagonist of Road to Avonlea. The start of the series coincides with her arrival in [[Avonlea]], where she has been sent to live with her two maternal aunts by her father, [[Blair Stanley]]. Sara’s mother was Ruth King, the sister of [[Hetty King]], [[Alec King]] and [[Olivia King-Dale]]. Ruth passed away from tuberculosis when Sara was still a toddler, but Blair, being a very successfully business man, was able to provide a very affluent life for Sara in [[Montreal]]. However, when Blair is accused of embezzlement, he sent Sara to live with her aunts in Avonlea.

Sara initially received a cold welcome from her cousins, [[Felicity King]] and [[Felix King]], and strict discipline from her aunt. However, Sara adjusted and thrived in Avonlea, becoming a prominent member of the community. Later that year, Sara’s father appeared in Avonlea after being acquitted of all charges. Blair’s appearance was very sudden and unexpected, and a heated argument between Blair and Hetty erupted over where Sara would live. After Sara suffered a near fatal accident, it was agreed upon between Blair and Hetty that Sara remain in Avonlea until she fully recovered. Sara received a letter sometime later from Blair, once again calling her to return to Montreal. However, tragedy stuck very soon after, and that same day Sara discovered her father was killed in a scaffolding accident at Stanley Imports. Sara’s [[Nanny Louisa Banks]] was unsure where Sara now belonged, but eventually, she was allowed her to remain in Avonlea with her King relatives.

Sara became close to the Avonlea community, especially Hetty. Sara began to view Hetty as her mother, and even entered her in a “Mother of the Year” competition, which Hetty won. The future of Sara was the subject of many disagreements and quarrels between Hetty and Sara’s nanny, Louisa Banks. Sara was caught right in the middle, but ultimately decided for herself how she would live her life. Sara decided to leave for Paris to attend a prestigious school to peruse her dream of being a writer. She does not forget about her family in Avonlea, and returns one more time for the wedding of [[Gus Pike]] and [[Felicity King]].