Megan Follows, Star of Anne of Green Gables, Will Play Lucy Maud Montgomery

Megan Follows, star of the beloved Canadian series Anne of Green Green Gables (1985), will play Anne's creator L.M. Montgomery in an upcoming series called Lucy. Maud. Known for her moving and unforgettable portrayal of Anne Shirley, Megan Follows is producing a new television series based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's life.

Speaking to Variety, Megan Follows explained, "I’ve always been incredibly grateful to be introduced, as a young woman, to the power of a character who was a central figure in her own story. One thing I share with the writers [of the show] is that our lives were greatly influenced by Anne. She defined us as artists, as writers, me as an actor."

Megan Follows will play L.M. Montgomery alongside other actresses. She explains to Variety, "I will play Maud, as that was her preferred name, from her forties through the end of her life. But we will also go on a wonderful journey with a young Maud and Maud in her 20s. There are multiple timelines we are discovering and experiencing with her."

The series will be the first dramatic depiction of L.M. Montgomery's life and will delve into her "passionate affairs, literary stardom and vivid imagination." The team optioned L.M. Montgomery's biography The Gift of Wings by Mary Rubio, a scholar who co-edited L.M. Montgomery's journals, as the source material for the series. Megan Follows elaborated, telling Variety, "It has been our extraordinarily rich source material, as well as many novels which have recently come into the public domain. We believe our project is really the first dramatic adaptation of this life story."

In the 1980s, when Megan Follows was playing Anne, she would take Montgomery's journals with her. Megan Follows told Variety, "I used to carry them around, because I could see there was so much more to this woman writing, at times very subversively, and exposing the world with a wicked sense of humor. She was extraordinarily intelligent, witty, observant. She had passionate affairs and lived in a time of great social upheaval and change. She’s a woman who speaks to our times."

Megan Follows went on to say, "Examples of really intelligent, creative, powerful women are worth celebrating and introducing to newer generations." The project has been in the works for some time. Megan Follows previously mentioned developing this project with the CBC in December 2023.

Produced by Story Girls Productions, the limited series will be eight episodes long, and each episode will be 60 minutes in length. Megan Follows will direct and star in the series. Susan Coyne is the creator of the series and its showrunner. Previously, Coyne wrote the screenplays for L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables (2016), L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables: Fire and Dew (2017) and an episode of Daisy Jones & The Six. The writers for Lucy. Maud include Susan Coyne and Rosa Laborde. The series is produced by Megan Follows, Edwina Follows, and Mary Young Leckie.

Producer Edwina Follows spoke to Variety about the series saying, “It’s a compelling drama about a powerful woman whose life experience remains relatable to this day.” Megan Follows elaborated on the production, telling Variety that it will appeal to L.M. Montgomery's fans as well as those unfamiliar with her work: "They can watch a show about the power of creativity as a saving grace and as a means of exploring the world and finding your voice. Even when you’re up against extraordinary odds. She fought and fought for that recognition, and fought for young people around the world. She understood what it was like to be on the outside."

Story Girls Productions is currently at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) Co-Production Market to secure financing, presales, and international distributions for the series, which aims to shoot in 2025.

Info on the Series:

Story Girls Productions, Canada

Writers: Susan Coyne, Rosa Laborde

Director: Megan Follows

Producers: Edwina Follows, Mary Young Leckie, Megan Follows

With pilot script and second episode ready, this Canadian show is about to introduce a wider audience to writer Lucy Maud Montgomery, forgotten force behind such classics as “Anne of Green Gables.” As well as her personal life, her passionate affairs, turbulent marriage, the pressures of fame, her ongoing struggle with mental illness and the solace she found in her writing. Supported by Canadian Media Fund.

I haven't been this excited about an L.M. Montgomery-related production since back in 1999/2000 when I was awaiting Sullivan Entertainment's Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story (aka Anne3). I hope Lucy. Maud will be distributed worldwide, so all L.M. Montgomery fans have a chance to see it. Let's hope that Story Girls Productions has great success in Berlin.


Image credit:
Photograph of Megan Follows.

References:

Balaga, Marta. (February 18, 2025). ‘Anne of Green Gables’ Star Megan Follows to Play Its Author Lucy Maud Montgomery in Series ‘Lucy. Maud’ (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. Retrieved from: https://variety.com/2025/tv/global/anne-of-green-gables-megan-follows-lucy-maud-1236311127/.

Balaga, Marta. (February 18, 2025). Berlin’s Co-Pro Series Welcomes Skateboarders, Drug Kingpins and Fernando Meirelles. Variety. Retrieved from: https://variety.com/2025/tv/global/fernando-meirelles-berlinale-series-market-co-pro-series-1236311488/.

Megan Follows: Playing Anne in Anne of Green Gables and bringing the story to a new generation. (2023, December 15). Q with Tom Power. CBC Arts & Entertainment. Retrieved from: https://podcasts.apple.com/ro/podcast/megan-follows-playing-anne-in-anne-of-green-gables/id256943801?i=1000638664483.

Created February 19, 2025.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Story Girl: The Life of Lucy Maud Montgomery Podcast Series

Story Girl: The Life of Lucy Maud Montgomery is a seven-episode podcast series about the life of author L.M. Montgomery. The series launched on December 26, 2024, and new episodes are released biweekly. The series is written and hosted by Ryan Barnett. It is a production of Knockabout Media and was funded by the Government of Canada to commemorate the 150th anniversary of L.M. Montgomery's birth.

Along with listening, you can take part in the series. There's a call to listeners, which asks listeners to send in a voice memo about L.M. Montgomery by February 28, 2025. If you do, you might be featured in an upcoming episode of the series.

Series Description:

The Life of Lucy Maud Montgomery

Lucy Maud Montgomery once wrote that biography is a “screaming farce,” adding that the best biographies give only a two-dimensional portrait of its subject, while everyone has a half-dozen “different sides.” Aware of this fool’s errand, we’re leaning in, and examining the different-sidedness of Maud. Each episode explores her personal triumphs and struggles, her creative inspirations, and the ways in which her “scribblings” left a lasting impact on literature and culture.

Discover the life and legacy of L.M. Montgomery in this insightful 7-part podcast, in which we explore her childhood, literary journey, and the timeless impact of Anne of Green Gables on generations of readers.

Credits:
Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett
Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti
Associate Producers Maia Foster-Sanchez & Kristi Prophet
Recorded by Tyler Rauman
This series features interviews with Kate Macdonald Butler, Kate Scarth, Jessica Young, Laura Robinson & Yuko Matsumoto.
Additional voices by Candace Amarante & Matthew Barnett

A Knockabout Media Production | Funded by the Government of Canada

Episode Synopses:

Episode 1: Spadework (27 minutes) - In this episode, we explore the formative years of author Lucy Maud Montgomery. We delve into her early life in Prince Edward Island and discuss the influences and experiences that shaped her writing, including the loss of her mother and the complexities of growing up in a strict household. Join us as we uncover how Montgomery’s youth laid the foundation for her beloved novels.

Episode 2: The Road to Anne (20 minutes) - Maud is now an adult. She attends teacher's college, gets engaged and falls in love (not necessarily in that order). She also begins writing the novel that will change her life: Anne of Green Gables.

Episode 3: Double Burden (24 minutes) - Maud is now a published author, and she is about to become a multi-hyphenate. In this episode, Maud also becomes a minister's wife, and a mother, and sadly she endures the greatest loss in her life.

Episode 4: A Woman's Humble Name (23 minutes) - Learning that she is under a bum publishing deal, Maud makes the decision to take on her long-time publisher, the shewed, Boston-based L.C. Page.

Episode 5: At Journey's End (38 minutes) - Maud faces some of the toughest years of her life : nuisance lawsuits, an unwanted pursuer, social ostracism, personal humiliations, and drug dependency colour her final days.

Episode 6: An Ode (with an E) to Maud (28 minutes) - This episode, we're doing something a little different. We are taking a pause from our narrative series to hear from you, the listeners. We asked you to send in voicemails with your feelings on Maud and her work, and you answered. A big thanks to Mike DiMascio, Irina Levchenko, Rebecca Sullivan, Laura Leden, Gabrielle Fortier, Naomi Burger, Kelly Gerner & Ragon Duffy, and Lois Adamson for your contributions to the show.

Episode 7: Red-haired Anne : Anne Shirley in Japan (28 minutes) - How did Anne of Green Gables become an icon in Japan? This is the story of Hanako Muraoka, the writer who faced grave danger in translating Maud's book—an enemy text—for future generations of Japan.

Additional Information on the Podcast:

February 18, 2025. Montreal, QC – TheNewswire – A new 7-part podcast series delves deep into the life and legacy of the iconic Canadian author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, whose beloved novel Anne of Green Gables has captivated readers around the world for over a century. The series, titled Story Girl: The Life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, launched this past Boxing Day.

Produced by Knockabout Media, Story Girl offers a fresh perspective on Montgomery’s remarkable life, exploring not only the creation of her timeless literary works but also the complexities of her personal experiences. It will guide listeners through key moments of Montgomery’s journey—from her early years in Prince Edward Island to her rise to fame and the challenges she faced as a woman writer in the early 20th century.

The series features interviews with descendants and experts, including Kate Macdonald Butler, Dr. Kate Scarth, Dr. Laura Robinson, Jessica Young, and Yuko Matsumoto. It is an immersive portrait of a woman who overcame personal tragedy and societal expectations to become one of the most celebrated authors of all time. Story Girl also explores lesser-known aspects of Montgomery’s life, including her struggles with mental health, her complicated relationship with fame, and the inspirations behind her beloved characters, including Anne Shirley, who continues to resonate with readers of all ages.

“On behalf of my family, we are pleased that our grandmother’s story will be told by way of a 7-part podcast. This 150th anniversary year was a true testament to the adoration for L.M. Montgomery, and now a podcast to be added to the list. We are very proud of our grandmother’s achievements.” - Kate Macdonald Butler, President, Heirs of L.M. Montgomery.

This new podcast series was made possible thanks to funding from the Government of Canada in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Montgomery’s birth.

“The novels of Lucy Maud Montgomery have been instrumental in celebrating and preserving the rich culture and breathtaking landscapes of Prince Edward Island. Her stories invite us to dream, imagine and discover beauty in everyday life. By contributing to this meaningful project, we are honouring her legacy and joining in the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of her birth – a moment to reflect on her life and journey as a female author in the 20th century.” — The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

Story Girl is available for streaming on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music, with new episodes dropping every two weeks.

For more information, including episode release dates and show details, visit www.knockaboutmedia.com or follow @knockaboutmedia on Bluesky.

About Knockabout Media

Knockabout Media specializes in creative non-fiction storytelling for the cultural and media sectors. On multiple platforms, and in collaboration with leading Canadian heritage interpreters, we commemorate the diverse stories that make Canada unique. We are the producers of the podcasts The Black Hum, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood North, Among Equals, How I Wrote This, and The Story of a National Crime.

For press inquiries or interview requests, please contact:
Ryan Barnett
416.737.9946
ryan@knockaboutmedia.com
www.knockaboutmedia.com


Official websites:

Story Girl at Knockabout Media
Story Girl at Apple Podcasts

Image credit:

Story Girl: The Life of Lucy Maud Montgomery podcast series artwork featuring a photograph of Nora Lefurgey taken by L.M. Montgomery.

References:

New 7-Part Podcast Series Explores the Life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, Creator of Anne of Green Gables. (February 18, 2025). Press release. TheNewswire. Retrieved from: https://www.thenewswire.com/press-releases/1k1vFpwOK-new-7-part-podcast-series-explores-the-life-of-lucy-maud-montgomery-creator-of-anne-of-green-gables.html.

Story Girl. Knockabout Media. Retrieved from: https://knockaboutmedia.com/podcasts-2/story-girl/.

Story Girl Podcast. Apple Podcasts. Retrieved from: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/story-girl/id1783190708.

Created February 18, 2025. Last updated March 30, 2025.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Maud of Green Gables

Maud of Green Gables: How L.M. Montgomery's Anne Enchanted the World is a book by Janet Wilson. Featuring Wilson's impressionist oil paintings, the limited edition picture book was released in September 2024 by Coach House Printing. The book celebrates the 150th anniversary of L.M. Montgomery's birth. It tells the story of L.M. Montgomery's life, how she was inspired to write Anne of Green Gables, and how the novel became a beloved classic worldwide. Throughout the book, there are quotes from Anne of Green Gables and from L.M. Montgomery's autobiography and journals.

In an article in The Wellington Advertiser, Wilson spoke about her book and L.M. Montgomery saying, "It’s kind of everything you’d ever want to know about Green Gables, but maybe you didn’t...A lot of it is about her process, how she came up with an idea, how she fit it into her schedule and why it is so popular internationally."

You can purchase Maud of Green Gables through Janet Wilson's webpage and the Shop at Sullivan website. The softcover book is 36 pages long and measures 8.5” x 11.”

Here is the description of the book from Shop at Sullivan:

Maud of Green Gables: How L. M. Montgomery's Anne Enchanted the World celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of L. M. Montgomery! Featuring the captivating art of Janet Wilson.

This lovely non-fiction book explores the intertwined legacies of Anne Shirley's world and Montgomery’s life, tracing the story of Anne of Green Gables from conception to the 1908 publication, and through its meteoric rise to becoming a beloved classic in Canada and around the world.

Maud of Green Gables considers why L. M. Montgomery’s book has never been out of print and has been translated into over 40 languages, as well as why Anne Shirley is one of the most recognizable characters in all of literature. Much of this fascinating story is told in Montgomery's own words quoted from her autobiography, personal journals, and her debut novel, Anne of Green Gables.

ISBN-13: 978-1-0688776-0-5

Official Website:
Janet Wilson's webpage

Image credit:
Book cover of Maud of Green Gables.

Review:
Maud of Green Gables: How L. M. Montgomery's Anne Enchanted the World - a terrific review of the book by Helen K at CanLit for LittleCanadians.

Reference:
Thompson, Ellouise. (September 6, 2024). Eden Mills author offers colourful glimpse into life, work of renowned author L.M. Montgomery. The Wellington Advertiser. Retrieved from: https://www.wellingtonadvertiser.com/eden-mills-author-offers-colourful-glimpse-into-life-work-of-renowned-author-l-m-montgomery/.

Created December 3, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life

After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life by Logan Steiner was published in May 2023 by William Morrow Paperbacks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. In her debut novel, Steiner tells L.M. Montgomery's story through the use of historical fiction to depict Montgomery's aspirations, creative life, and personal struggles.

In an interview with The Colorado Sun, Logan Steiner speaks about her inspiration for writing After Anne saying:

"I’ve always been drawn to learn the life stories of writers whose work means the most to me. Lucy Maud Montgomery (who went by Maud) has been a favorite author since I was young. I read her books cover to cover and watched the Kevin Sullivan (“Anne of Green Gables”) miniseries so many times with my grandma.

Learning about Maud’s life story for the first time late one night in bed, I got chills. I had to know: Who was this woman who edited even her private journals for later publication? What drove her to develop such life-affirming characters but to write at the end of her life, 'My position is too awful to endure and nobody realizes it'?"

In the interview, Steiner speaks about her life and her creative process. When asked what readers should take from the book, she explains, "My writing focuses on the creative life. My deepest hope in doing so is that people read and feel moved to create themselves. From Maud’s story in particular, I hope readers feel how it’s possible to be so well known and so unknown at the same time — to achieve external success and still feel alone."

Logan Steiner writes a weekly newsletter called The Creative Sort, which focuses on her own search for what’s meaningful and lasting in life.

Here is the description of her book After Anne from HarperCollins Publishers:

USA TODAY BESTSELLER

A stunning and unexpected portrait of Lucy Maud Montgomery, creator of one of literature’s most prized heroines, whose personal demons were at odds with her most enduring legacy—the irrepressible Anne of Green Gables.

“Dear old world,” she murmured, “you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.” —L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, 1908

As a young woman, Maud had dreams bigger than the whole of Prince Edward Island. Her exuberant spirit had always drawn frowns from her grandmother and their neighbors, but she knew she was meant to create, to capture and share the way she saw the world. And the young girl in Maud’s mind became more and more persistent: Here is my story, she said. Here is how my name should be spelled—Anne with an “e.”

But the day Maud writes the first lines of Anne of Green Gables, she gets a visit from the handsome new minister in town, and soon faces a decision: forge her own path as a spinster authoress, or live as a rural minister’s wife, an existence she once called "a synonym for respectable slavery." The choice she makes alters the course of her life.

With a husband whose religious mania threatens their health and happiness at every turn, the secret darkness that Maud herself holds inside threatens to break through the persona she shows to the world, driving an ever-widening wedge between her public face and private self, and putting her on a path towards a heartbreaking end.

Beautiful and moving, After Anne reveals Maud’s hidden personal challenges while celebrating what was timeless about her life and art—the importance of tenacity and the peaceful refuge found in imagination.

Reviews

"In this outstanding debut, Logan Steiner delivers a moving, richly detailed and nuanced portrayal of a deeply fascinating woman. Steiner, with a loving hand, lifts the veil of L.M. Montgomery to give us a glimpse of Maud, her strength, her struggles, her quiet courage navigating life as both an ambitious author and a loving friend, wife and mother. Steiner’s extensive research is evident not only in the facts but in the complex emotional tapestry she weaves. Anne of Green Gables fans will sure to delight in this book, but so will any fans of interesting, complicated and clever women."
— Brianna Labuskes, author of The Librarian of Burned Books

"An exquisite tribute to Lucy Maud Montgomery, the revered author who gave us so much scope for imagination. After Anne is for fans who long to know the woman behind Anne Shirley's story. Get ready, this book will break your heart in the most splendid ways."
— Sarah McCoy, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Marilla of Green Gables

Image credit:
Book cover of After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life.

Reference:
Drawn to creatives, Logan Steiner focused book on a favorite author. (December 8, 2024). The Colorado Sun. Retrieved from: https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/08/sunlit-logan-steiner-after-anne/.

Purchase and read After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life:


Created October 4, 2024. Last updated December 24, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

The Green Gables Diary Website

This past summer, a website called The Green Gables Diary launched. It is a digital exhibition that accompanies the new book Becoming Green Gables: The Diary of Myrtle Webb and Her Famous Farmhouse by Alan MacEachern. The book tells the story of Myrtle Webb and her family, who owned the farm that Myrtle's cousin L.M. Montgomery based "Green Gables" upon. Once a simple farm, Myrtle's home became a tourist destination when it became known as the inspiration behind Anne of Green Gables. Eventually, Myrtle had to leave her home when Parks Canada decided to form a national park in Cavendish with Green Gables as its centerpiece.

Myrtle kept a diary from 1924 to 1954, providing a historical record of what her life was like living in "the most famous house in Canada." The Green Gables Diary contains digital scans and a transcription of her entire diary, as well as photographs and introductory materials to learn more about Myrtle Webb, her family, and the history of Green Gables.


Official Website:
The Green Gables Diary

Image Credit:
Screencapture of The Green Gables Diary website.

Reference:
MacEachern, Alan. (2024). The Green Gables Diary. Retrieved from: https://greengablesdiary.ca/.

Purchase and read Becoming Green Gables by Alan MacEachern:


Created September 24, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

L.M. Montgomery's 150th Birthday Events in Norval, Ontario

Over the coming months, there will be several events held in Norval, Ontario to celebrate L.M Montgomery's 150th birthday.

September 29, 2024 - Culture Days
Visitors are welcome at St. Paul's Anglican Church (14 Adamson St.), The Norval Studios and Gallery (Parish Hall, 16 Adamson St.), and the Caretaker’s Cottage (404 Draper St.), located next to the Manse where L.M. Montgomery once lived.

October 19, 2024 - Find my Fictional Maud: A Conversation with Melanie J. Fishbane
A book talk and signing with Melanie J. Fishbane, author of Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery, will take place at 2 p.m. at the Norval Studios and Gallery. Read this article to learn more about with Fishbane's book and the event.

November 23, 2024 - The Kitchen of L.M. Montgomery
John Ota, author of The Kitchen, will give a book talk and sign copies of his book at 2 p.m in Parish Hall. Ota's book examines famous kitchens in history, and his speech will explore three of L.M. Montgomery's kitchens. Ota has visted L.M. Montgomery's kitchens in Norval, the Leaskdale Manse, and the Toronto Manse and welcomes questions from the audience. Read this article to learn more info about Ota's work and the event.

November 30, 2024 - Montgomery Christmas Sale
A Christmas sale will take place on L.M. Montgomery's 150th birthday. St. Paul’s Anglican Church and St. Elias The Prophet Ukranian Church (10193 Heritage Rd.) will host church bazaars from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Janet Wilson, author of Maud of Green Gables, will have a book signing at St. Paul’s Anglican Church. The Norval Studios will be open for shopping on November 30th and December 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Read more about these events at Halton Hills Today.


Image credit:
Book covers of Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery by Melanie J. Fishbane, The Kitchen: A Journey Through History in Search of the Perfect Design by John Ota, and Maud of Green Gables: How L.M. Montgomery's Anne Enchanted the World by Janet Wilson.

References:
Tanweer, Mansoor. (November 18, 2024). Author to entertain Norval guests about Lucy Maud Montgomery’s kitchens. HaltonHillsToday.ca. Retrieved from: https://www.haltonhillstoday.ca/local-news/author-to-entertain-norval-guests-about-lucy-maud-montgomerys-kitchens-9802934

Tanweer, Mansoor. (October 17, 2024). Author coming to Norval for chat about Lucy Maud Montgomery. HaltonHillsToday.ca. Retrieved from: https://www.haltonhillstoday.ca/local-news/author-coming-to-norval-for-chat-about-lucy-maud-montgomery-9648514

Tanweer, Mansoor. (September 11, 2024). Norval celebrating Lucy Maud Montgomery's 150th birthday. HaltonHillsToday.ca. Retrieved from: https://www.haltonhillstoday.ca/local-news/norval-celebrating-lucy-maud-montgomerys-150th-birthday-9473840

Created September 17, 2024. Last updated November 19, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Gog and Magog Wallpaper

The other day, I was browsing home decor at Anthropologie, and I was struck by a wallpaper design by Annika Reed Studio. It's called the "Pair of Dogs Wallpaper," and it made me think of L.M. Montgomery and her beloved china dogs.

When L.M. Montgomery visited her Grandfather Montgomery's home in Park Corner as a little girl, she would admire the pair of china dogs that sat on the mantel in his sitting room. These dogs were named Gog and Magog. Years later, after Montgomery got married, she bought her own pair of china dogs during her honeymoon.

Gog and Magog made their way from real life into fiction in Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series. Like Montgomery, Anne Shirley admired a pair of china dogs with the same names. Eventually, Gog and Magog grace the mantel in Anne and Gilbert's home.

Below is a photograph of L.M. Montgomery posing with her cherished china dogs in Norval, Ontario on September 18, 1932.


I wonder if L.M. Montgomery and Anne Shirley would like this wallpaper by Annika Reed Studio.


The "Pair of Dogs Wallpaper" comes in a blue and black version too.



Official Website
Annika Reed Studio - Pair of Dogs Collection

Image credits:
Annika Reed Studio Pair of Dogs Wallpaper at Anthropologie (brown and green, blue and black).

Photograph of L.M. Montgomery taken on September 18, 1932 from the Archives Of Ontario, Toronto, Canada. Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Norval,_Lucy_Maud_Montgomery_(14845819617).jpg

Created September 16, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

New Memorial Bench Placed at The Site of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Cavendish Home on World Suicide Prevention Day

Yesterday, a memorial bench was placed at The Site of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Cavendish Home in recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day. You can watch a video of the unveiling at CBC News. Several people are interviewed, including Philip Smith (former chair of the L.M. Montgomery Institute), Julia Ramsay (Canadian Mental Health Association - Prince Edward Island Chapter), and David Macneill of the Lucy Maud Montgomery Homestead Site.

The bench was placed in recognition of those we have lost to suicide, and it provides a place for reflection and healing. It is located under the old apple tree that Montgomery wrote about in her journals and next to the homestead where she grew up. L.M. Montgomery died by suicide at the age of 67. She and her husband both faced mental challenges throughout their lives.

Inscribed on the bench is a quote from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery: "Dear old world, you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you."

It is a fitting memorial at a meaningful location. I hope the bench promotes more openness and communication about suicide.


Image credit:
Screenshot of CBC News Video.

Reference:
Bench at L.M. Montgomery homestead unveiled on World Suicide Prevention Day. (2024, September 10). CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6505973

Created September 11, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

L.M. Montgomery and War

In 2017, L.M. Montgomery and War was published by McGill-Queen’s University Press. This book of scholarship examines how war influenced L.M. Montgomery's life and work. It was edited by Andrea McKenzie and Jane Ledwell. The volume contains contributions by Jonathan F. Vance, Irene Gammel, E. Holly Pike, Susan Fisher, Laura M. Robinson, Sarah Glassford, Maureen O. Gallagher, Caroline E. Jones, Andrea McKenzie, and Elizabeth Epperly.

Here is the description of the volume from McGill-Queen’s University Press:

War marked L.M. Montgomery’s personal life and writing. As an eleven-year-old, she experienced the suspense of waiting months for news about her father, who fought during the North-West Resistance of 1885. During the First World War, she actively led women’s war efforts in her community, while suffering anguish at the horrors taking place overseas. Through her novels, Montgomery engages directly with the global conflicts of her time, from the North-West Resistance to the Second World War. Given the influence of her wartime writing on Canada’s cultural memories, L.M. Montgomery and War restores Montgomery to her rightful place as a major war writer.

Reassessing Montgomery’s position in the canon of war literature, contributors to this volume explore three central themes in their essays: her writing in the context of contemporaneous Canadian novelists, artists, and poets; questions about her conceptions of gender identity, war work, and nationalism across enemy lines; and the themes of hurt and healing in her interwar works.

Drawing on new perspectives from war studies, literary studies, historical studies, gender studies, and visual art, L.M. Montgomery and War explores new ways to consider the iconic Canadian writer and her work.

Reviews

“L.M. Montgomery and War is a delight to read. The use of biography, journals, and historical context is admirable. The writing is clear and engaging, always with an eye towards the general readership that Montgomery engages, and the range of issues evoked by a focus on war in Montgomery’s work is truly amazing and illuminating.” Holly Blackford, Rutgers University

“Andrea McKenzie and Jane Ledwell’s edited collection has much to offer anyone interested in how readers remember female authors who do not abide by the cultural scripts defining the topics appropriate to them.” Children’s Literature Association Quarterly

The book includes the following essays:

Part One: The Canons of War

1. “Some Great Crisis of Storm and Stress”: L.M. Montgomery, Canadian Literature, and the Great War by Jonathan F. Vance
2. Mapping Patriotic Memory: L.M. Montgomery, Mary Riter Hamilton, and the Great War by Irene Gammel
3. Education for War: Anne of Green Gables and Rilla of Ingleside by E. Holly Pike
4. “Watchman, What of the Night?”: L.M. Montgomery’s Poems of War by Susan Fisher

Part Two: Gendering War

5. L.M. Montgomery’s Great War: The Home as Battleground in Rilla of Ingleside by Laura M. Robinson
6. “I Must Do Something to Help at Home”: Rilla of Ingleside in the Context of Real Women’s War Work by Sarah Glassford
7. Across Enemy Lines: Gender and Nationalism in Else Ury’s and L.M. Montgomery’s Great War Novels by Maureen O. Gallagher

Part Three: Healing or Hurt?
The Aftermath

8. The Shadows of War: Interstitial Grief in L.M. Montgomery’s Final Novels by Caroline E. Jones
9. Women at War? One Hundred Years of Visualizing Rilla by Andrea McKenzie
10. Emily’s Quest: L.M. Montgomery’s Green Alternative to Despair and War? By Elizabeth Epperly


Image credit:
Book cover of L.M. Montgomery and War from McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Purchase and read L.M. Montgomery and War:


Created May 26, 2024.
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Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World

My husband and I were roaming in a bookstore recently, and he was looking through a travel book of literary locations. He came over to show it to me because the book featured Prince Edward Island and Anne of Green Gables, and he knew I'd love to see it. The book is titled Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World, and it's by Richard Kreitner. I love to read and explore, so I thought the concept was really fun.



Booked was published in 2019 by Black Dog & Leventhal, which is part of the Hachette Book Group. Here's the book's description from the publisher's website:

A practical, armchair travel guide that explores eighty of the most iconic literary locations from all over the globe that you can actually visit.

A must-have for every fan of literature, Booked inspires readers to follow in their favorite characters footsteps by visiting the real-life locations portrayed in beloved novels including the Monroeville, Alabama courthouse in To Kill a Mockingbird, Chatsworth House, the inspiration for Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice, and the Kyoto Bridge from Memoirs of a Geisha. The full-color photographs throughout reveal the settings readers have imagined again and again in their favorite books.

Organized by regions all around the world, author Richard Kreitner explains the importance of each literary landmark including the connection to the author and novel, cultural significance, historical information, and little-known facts about the location. He also includes travel advice like addresses and must-see spots.

Booked features special sections on cities that inspired countless literary works like a round of locations in Brooklyn from Betty Smith’s iconic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn to Jonathan Lethem’s Motherless Brooklyn and a look at the New Orleans of Tennessee Williams and Anne Rice.

Locations include:
Central Park, NYC (The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger)
Forks, Washington (Twilight, Stephanie Meyer)
Prince Edward Island, Canada (Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery)
Kingston Penitentiary, Ontario (Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood)
Holcomb, Kansas (In Cold Blood, Truman Capote)
London, England (White Teeth, Zadie Smith)
Paris, France (Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo)
Segovia, Spain, (For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway)
Kyoto, Japan (Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden)

Image credits:
Photograph of a page on Anne of Green Gables in Booked by Richard Kreitner taken by World of Anne Shirley and cover image of Booked by Black Dog & Leventhal.

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Created May 20, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Anne around the World: L.M. Montgomery and Her Classic

Anne around the World: L.M. Montgomery and Her Classic was published in May 2013 by McGill-Queen’s University Press. This book of scholarship examines the broad and lasting international appeal of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. It was edited by Jane Ledwell and Jean Mitchell. The volume contains contributions Yoshiko Akamatsu, Doreley Carolina Coll, Brooke Collins-Gearing, Margaret Doody, Elizabeth R. Epperly, Barbara Carman Garner, Caroline E. Jones, Paul Keen, Jane Ledwell, Jennie MacDonald, Susan Meyer, Jean Mitchell, Mary Henley Rubio, Gholamreza Sami, Wendy Shilton, Cynthia Sugars, Tanfer Emin Tunc, Åsa Warnqvist, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston, and Budge Wilson.

Here is the description of the volume from McGill-Queen’s University Press:

What makes Anne of Green Gables an international, time-honoured classic? International audiences have described reading L.M. Montgomery's most celebrated novel as an experience in enchantment. Balancing criticism and celebration, Jane Ledwell and Jean Mitchell bring together essays that consider the sources of the wonder that Montgomery's work inspires.

The popular appeal of Montgomery's classic is undeniable, but the reasons for its worldwide resonance are less obvious. From a range of perspectives, the contributors to Anne around the World focus on the numerous themes the novel raises, showcasing why it has charmed readers across the globe - from Iran to Australia, and from Sweden to Japan. Essays consider issues of class, race, and colonial history, discuss Anne's place in children's literature, her passion for writing, and the ways in which L.M. Montgomery and her red-haired protagonist are celebrated by legions of fans.

Featuring contributions from many international writers, Anne around the World traces the meaning and influence of a story that spread far from its place of origin on a small Canadian island to distant and culturally diverse places.

Contributors include Yoshiko Akamatsu (Notre Dame Seishin University, Japan), Doreley Carolina Coll (University of Prince Edward Island), Brooke Collins-Gearing (School of Humanities and Social Science, New South Wales), Margaret Doody (Notre Dame University), Elizabeth R. Epperly (emeritus, University of Prince Edward Island), Barbara Carman Garner (Carleton University), Caroline E. Jones (Texas State University-San Marcos), Paul Keen (Carleton University), Jane Ledwell, Jennie MacDonald (PhD, University of Denver), Susan Meyer (Wellesley College), Jean Mitchell, Mary Henley Rubio (emeritus, University of Guelph), Gholamreza Sami (Sussex University), Wendy Shilton (University of Prince Edward Island), Cynthia Sugars (University of Ottawa), Tanfer Emin Tunc (Hacettepe University, Turkey), Åsa Warnqvist (Stockholm University, Sweden), Elizabeth Hillman Waterston (emeritus, University of Guelph), and Budge Wilson (author).

Reviews

"Anne around the World is a notable and memorable collection of essays which should become an important reference text in the academic field and an attractive read for general readers around the world who have an interest in L.M. Montgomery." Joy Alexander, School of English, Queen's University, Belfast

The book includes the following essays:

Situating Montgomery and Her Classic

Anne of Green Gables - and Afterward by Elizabeth Hillman Waterston
Lasting Images of Anne of Green Gables by Elizabeth R. Epperly
Uncertainties Surrounding the Death of L.M. Montgomery by Mary Henley Rubio
A Century of Critical Reflection on Anne of Green Gables by Barbara Carman Garner

The Terrain of the Classic: Allusions and Intertexts

L.M. Montgomery and the Significance of “Classics,” Ancient and Modern by Margaret Doody
“So- so- commonplace”: Romancing the Local in Anne of Green Gables and Aurora Leigh by Paul Keen
“Matthew’s school of critics”: Learning to Read Anne of Green Gables by Cynthia Sugars
Anne of Green Gables as Centre and Circumference by Wendy Shilton

Provoking the Classic: Class, Colonialism, and Christianity

“Nice Folks”: L.M. Montgomery’s Classic and Subversive Inscriptions and Transgressions of Class by Caroline E. Jones
Civilizing Anne: Missionaries of the South Seas, Cavendish Evangelicalism, and the Crafting of Anne of Green Gables by Jean Mitchell
Narrating the “Classic” on Stolen Ground: Anne of Green Gables by Brooke Collins-Gearing

Anne and After: The Local and Global Circulation of the Classic Text

Teaching and Reading Anne of Green Gables in Iran, the Land of Omar Khayyam by Gholamreza Samigorganroodi
Reading Anne of Green Gables in Montevideo by Doreley Carolina Coll
Teaching Anne and Antonia in Turkey: Feminist Girlhood in L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and Willa Cather’s My Antonia by Tanfer Emin Tunc
The Continuous Popularity of Red-haired Anne in Japan: An Interview with Yoshiko Akamatsu by Yoshiko Akamatsu
“I experienced a light that became a part of me”: Reading Anne of Green Gables in Sweden by Åsa Warnqvist

Paratext and Aftertexts: Further Words on Anne

“I just love pretty clothes”: Considering the Sartorial in Anne of Green Gables by Jennie MacDonald
Writing after Anne: L.M. Montgomery’s Influence on Canadian Children’s Literature by Susan Meyer
Writing Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson


Image credit:
Book cover of Anne around the World: L.M. Montgomery and Her Classic from McGill-Queen’s University Press.

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Created May 18, 2024.
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The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables

The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables: The Enchanting Island that Inspired L. M. Montgomery is a book by Catherine Reid explores the environment of Prince Edward Island and how L.M. Montgomery used nature as a source of creativity to write Anne of Green Gables. Published in 2018, the book is filled with lush photography, biographical information about L.M. Montgomery, and L.M. Montgomery's own photos and quotes. It was published by Timber Press in Portland, Oregon, which is part of the Hachette Book Group. The book was acclaimed as one of Smithsonian magazine’s Ten Best Books About Travel of 2018.

Here is the book's description from the Hachette Book Group:

The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables explores L. M. Montgomery’s deep connection to the landscapes of Prince Edward Island that inspired her to write the beloved Anne of Green Gables series. From the Lake of Shining Waters and the Haunted Wood to Lover’s Lane, you’ll be immersed in the real places immortalized in the novels.

Using Montgomery’s journals, archives, and scrapbooks, Catherine Reid explores the many similarities between Montgomery and her unforgettable heroine, Anne Shirley. The lush package includes Montgomery’s hand-colorized photographs, the illustrations originally used in Anne of Green Gables, and contemporary and historical photography.

Reviews

“This book will be treasured by Montgomery’s legions of fans.” —Carolyn Strom Collins, author of The Anne of Green Gables Treasury; editor of After Many Years: Twenty-one “Long-Lost” Stories by L. M. Montgomery

“In L. M. Montgomery’s beloved book, Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, Canada, played a role that is arguably just as important as the series’ protagonist, Anne Shirley. Wanting to bring the island to life years later, author Catherine Reid explores the very places that inspired Montgomery and became immortalized in her prose.” —The Smithsonian Magazine

“There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing gorgeous pictures of sunsets, shores, and gardens alongside snippets of Montgomery’s musical, flowery prose. Reid’s love letter to Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery, and Prince Edward Island is sure to delight. Anne enthusiasts will learn more about what inspired Montgomery, while nature lovers will find a kindred spirit in Reid, who clearly has a passion for all things green and growing.” —Booklist starred review

“This is not just a book filled with beautiful photos; it’s a satisfyingly rich and layered combination of the visual and intellectual. Readers will gain a new appreciation not only for Montgomery but also for the landscape that meant so much to her.” —Library Journal

“Whether you read the Anne saga growing up (particularly popular with young girls) or are brainstorming now for a summer vacation jewel, this new The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables is certain to delight. Author Catherine Reid exuberantly jumped into Montgomery's archives—her journals, scrapbooks, photographs—to create this lush tribute to Montgomery, Green Gables and PEI. It is graced with positive quotes, poems and anecdotes; festooned with fascinating history; dressed in scores of images from yesteryear and today. . . . Reid herself deserves ample applause for this wet-kiss, well-crafted ode to all that makes Prince Edward Island and its most esteemed native resonate with readers and visitors. Oh, Canada!” —Forbes

“For readers looking for a deeper understanding of the book, the author, and how they both came together to create a timeless classic, this is a must-read. Filled with beautiful colour images and original illustrations from the book's 1908 edition, The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables is an easy, enjoyable read, but it is packed with much more fascinating information than your average coffee-table book. . . . readers are prompted to reflect on how the landscapes of their worlds speak to their own internal lives.” —The Cardinal Press

Image credit:
Photograph of The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables by Timber Press.

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Created May 16, 2024.
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