How old is Ava in Virgin River?

Daisy Phillipson
Ava in Virgin River

With Ava being a new character in Netflix’s Virgin River, you might be wondering: who exactly is she and how old is the newbie? 

Virgin River finished Season 5 last month with two Christmas episodes that were packed full of festivities – as well as some shocking revelations. Significantly, we finally got to find out who Mel’s biological father is, and he finishes the latest chapter by telling his daughter he’s got something important to tell her. Talk about a cliffhanger. 

As well as exploring the many established relationships in the Netflix series, which is based on Robyn Carr’s books of the same name, Season 5 introduced us to some new faces. One of those is Ava, first seen in Episode 1, ‘A Second Chance’.

Although she went “missing” in Part 2, she might just return in the sixth chapter. Until then, here’s what you need to know about the character and her age. 

How old is Ava in Virgin River? 

While Ava’s age isn’t stated in the series or Robyn Carr’s Virgin River books, we can expect her to be around 25 years old. She is portrayed by Libby Osler and is one of Lilly Anderson’s daughters. 

First appearing in Season 5 Part 1, Tara introduces Ava to Mel, and it’s revealed that she’s the “oldest sister.” She’s a city girl, visiting Virgin River from her home in Portland to help look after baby Chloe following Lilly’s death. 

Tara, Ava, and Chloe in Virgin River

Although Tara actor Stacey Farber is 36 years old in real life, it’s believed her character is in her 20s, which would make sense given their mom is around the mid-forties mark. As said by one Redditor: “From my understanding, she [Tara] finished college or at least went to college in SF. So I am guessing what, 22?”

“Definitely in her 20s,” replied another, while a third added, “She wouldn’t have been able to be Chloe’s guardian if she were a teenager.” So, with Ava being the older sister, we can expect her to be around 24-25 years old. 

Libby Osler, meanwhile, is 28 years old in real life. Her character was nowhere to be seen in Season 5 Part 2, something that left the fans confused – but she might make her return in the next chapter. 

One Redditor wrote: “She was staying in VR until the sisters found a buyer for the farm. The sale obviously was made with Jack and Mel, as Brady mentions he’s helping Jack build a new home for free. Ava was originally living in Portland so she probably went back. I think it would be cool if Tara, Chloe, and Ava return to the farm when Jack and Mel finally get married there.”

Virgin River Season 5 is available to stream on Netflix now, and you can check out our other coverage below: 

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About The Author

Daisy is a Senior TV and Movies Writer at Dexerto. She's a lover of all things macabre, whether that be horror, crime, psychological thrillers or all of the above. After graduating with a Masters in Magazine Journalism, she's gone on to write for Digital Spy, LADbible and Little White Lies. You can contact her on daisy.phillipson@dexerto.com