Around the Hearth: Tales of Home and Family

Around the Hearth: Tales of Home and Family is a collection of short stories by L.M. Montgomery that was edited by Joanne Lebold and originally selected by Rea Wilmshurst. The book was published in June 2022 by Nimbus Publishing. The collection includes 17 of L.M. Montgomery's short stories that were published in periodicals between 1895 and 1935.


Here is the description of the book from Nimbus Publishing:

A heartwarming collection of 17 rare short stories by famed Anne of Green Gables author.

Although best known for creating the spirited Anne Shirley, L. M. Montgomery had a thriving writing career that included hundreds of short stories and poems. Around the Hearth is a continuation of the Montgomery short story collections edited by Rea Wilmshurst in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, including stories such as "A Baking of Gingersnaps" (1895) ― the first story Montgomery published. As with Anne, who found a warm and welcoming home and family at Green Gables, these stories focus on homes and families, and the happiness and love people receive from them.

Over many years of careful research and meticulous compiling of resources, Joanne Lebold has curated a collection of short fiction that showcases all the warmth and charisma Montgomery's fans have come to cherish, and offers a rare glimpse into some of the beloved author's lesser-known works. Includes seventeen short stories originally published between 1895 and 1935.

Image credit:
Book cover of Around the Hearth: Tales of Home and Family.

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Created July 12, 2022. Last updated September 20, 2024.
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After Many Years: Twenty-One "Long Lost" Stories by L.M. Montgomery

After Many Years: Twenty-One "Long Lost" Stories by L.M. Montgomery selected and edited by Carolyn Strom Collins and Christy Woster was published in June 2017 by Nimbus Publishing. The book contains a collection of L.M. Montgomery's short stories that have not been in print since their original publication in periodicals from 1900 to 1939.


Here is the description of the book from Nimbus Publishing:

Although best known for creating the spirited Anne Shirley, L. M. Montgomery had a thriving writing career that included several novels and more than five hundred poems and stories.

This collection brings together rare pieces originally published between 1900 and 1939 that haven’t been in print since their initial periodicals. Collins and Woster have carefully curated a mixture of newly discovered stories that showcase all the charm you expect from Montgomery. With scholarly prefaces and notes for each piece, the book offers readers a rare glimpse into how Montgomery’s writing developed over the years.

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Book cover of After Many Years: Twenty-One "Long Lost" Stories by L.M. Montgomery.

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Created June 30, 2017. Last updated September 4, 2024.
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Aunt Susanna's Thanksgiving Dinner

After spending many hours searching through microfiche in my university's library, I rediscovered an 100-year-old short story by L.M. Montgomery. The story is called "Aunt Susanna's Thanksgiving Dinner," and you can read it here exclusively. "Aunt Susanna's Thanksgiving Dinner" was originally published in 1907 in The Housewife, the year before Anne of Green Gables was published. To my knowledge this story has never been republished since.

The story is about four sisters: Laura, Kate, Margaret, and Agnes, who narrates the tale. Each girl has her own ambitions. Laura wants to be an artist, Kate plays the violin, Margaret wants to get a college education, and Agnes wants to be a writer. Aunt Susanna faintly approves of Margaret's desire for an education, but disapproves of the artistic, musical, and literary goals of her other three nieces. The sisters try to please Aunt Susanna, hoping their wealthy aunt will send Margaret to college.

The story begins when Aunt Susanna arrives at her nieces's home. She's full of criticism, but also needs a favor. She is in a bind, and must travel from town to visit a sick relative. She needs the girls to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for her and Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert upon their return home. Agnes has just told Aunt Susanna that she's a good cook, so she feels she must agree to prepare the meal. With trepidation, Agnes says she will cook dinner, and Kate volunteers to help her.

Despite the their best efforts, Agnes and Kate's Thanksgiving preparations turn out to be a disaster. Will they be able to save Thanksgiving and win Aunt Susanna's approval?

Read the original scanned story text below or download a PDF version here:





Updated to add: Long after I posted this story on my website, it was gathered into another collection online.

Reference:
Montgomery, L.M. (1907, November). Aunt Susanna's Thanksgiving Dinner. The Housewife. pages 5 and 14.

Created October 2, 2007. Last updated November 24, 2022.
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After Many Days: Tales of Time Passed

After Many Days: Tales of Time Passed was published in 1991. The book contains 18 of L.M. Montgomery's short stories that were rediscovered and edited by Rea Wilmshurst. The collection includes tales with themes of absence, separation, lost love, and returning home. The stories contained in the volume are listed below with their original publication dates in parentheses:

"After Many Days" (1903)
"The Bride Roses" (1903)
"The Romance of Jedediah" (1912)
"Elizabeth's Child" (1904)
"In the Old Valley" (1906)
"The Prodigal Brother" (1906)
"Robert Turner's Revenge" (1909)
"For a Dream's Sake" (1935)
"The Price" (1930)
"A Golden Wedding" (1909)
"Mrs. March's Revenge" (1904)
"An Unpremeditated Ceremony" (1907)
"Missy's Room" (1907)
"The Story of Uncle Dick" (1906)
"The Romance of Aunt Beatrice" (1902)
"The Setness of Theodosia" (1901)
"Between the Hill and the Valley" (1905)
"The Man Who Forgot" (1932)

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Created January 15, 2007. Last updated March 27, 2021.
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At the Altar: Matrimonial Tales

At the Altar: Matrimonial Tales was published in 1994. The book contains 18 of L.M. Montgomery's short stories that were rediscovered and edited by Rea Wilmshurst. The tales in this collection all involve themes of love conquering obstacles. The stories contained in the volume are listed below with their original publication dates in parentheses:

"Aunt Philippa and the Men" (1915)
"A Dinner of Herbs" (1928)
"Jessamine" (1909)
"The Pennington's Girl" (1900)
"The Gossip of Valley View" (1910)
"The Pursuit of the Ideal" (1904)
"By the Rule of Contrary" (1908)
"Nan" (1904)
"The Wooing of Bessy" (1906)
"Miss Cordelia's Accommodation" (1903)
"The Twins and a Wedding" (1908)
"Them Notorious Pigs" (1904)
"The Dissipation of Miss Ponsonby" (1906)
"An Unconventional Confidence" (1903)
"The Way of Winning Anne" (1899)
"The Touch of Fate" (1899)
"What Aunt Marcella Would Have Called It" (1935)
"When Jack and Jill Took a Hand" (1905)

Image Credit:
Scan of my book cover of At the Altar: Matrimonial Tales. This Bantam 1995 edition features artwork by Ben Stahl.

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Created May 26, 2006. Last updated May 21, 2024.
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The Strike at Putney Church (2005)

The Strike at Putney Church (2005) is a play written by Eliza Jane Wilson that was based on a short story by L.M. Montgomery. The play premiered at The Arts Guild in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on November 17, 2005. The play was produced by ACT (A Community Theatre) and was directed by Paul Whelan.

Eliza Jane Wilson based the play on an L.M. Montgomery short story, titled "The Strike at Putney." This story can be read in the collection Against the Odds: Tales of Achievement, which was edited by Rea Wilmshurst.

The play is described as follows: "It is 1922 in rural PEI. The women of Putney Church are outraged when the elders deny a famous female missionary the opportunity to speak in the church. The women retaliate by going on strike!"

Image Credit:
Poster for The Strike at Putney Church (2005) from the ACT website.

Created November 29, 2005. Last updated May 21, 2024.
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Against the Odds: Tales of Achievement

Against the Odds: Tales of Achievement was published in 1993. The book contains 18 of L.M. Montgomery's short stories that were rediscovered and edited by Rea Wilmshurst. Thematically, the tales in this collection all involve struggles against adversity. The stories contained in the volume are listed below with their original publication dates in parentheses:

"A Patent Medicine Testimonial" (1903)
"The Fillmore Elderberries" (1909)
"Dorinda's Desperate Deed" (1906)
"The Genesis of the Doughnut Club" (1907)
"Bessie's Doll" (1914)
"At the Bay Shore Farm" (1904)
"In Spite of Myself" (1896)
"When Mr. Cropper Changed his Mind" (1903)
"How We Went to the Wedding" (1913)
"Ned's Stroke of Business" (1903)
"Their Girl Josie" (1906)
"The Blue North Room" (1906)
"Where There is a Will There is a Way" (1934)
"Lillian's Business Venture" (1900)
"A Question of Acquaintance" (1929)
"A Case of Trespass" (1897)
"A Substitute Journalist" (1907)
"The Strike at Putney" (1903)

Image Credit:
Book cover of my Bantam 1994 edition of Against the Odds: Tales of Achievement featuring artwork by Ben Stahl. Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

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Created January 22, 2004. Last updated May 21, 2024.
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The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories

The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories is a book of short stories by L.M. Montgomery that was published in 1979. It includes short stories found in old magazines and periodicals by Catherine McLay. The collection contains 14 tales, many of which are romantic stories of courtships and reconciliations, as well as stories of orphans and spinsters. The short stories included in this volume and their original publication dates are listed below:

"Kismet" (1899)
"Emily's Husband" (1903)
"The Girl and the Wild Race" (1904)
"The Promise of Lucy Ellen" (1904)
"The Parting of the Ways" (1907)
"The Doctor's Sweetheart" (1908)
"By Grace of Julius Caesar" (1908)
"Akin to Love" (1909)
"The Finished Story" (1912)
"My Lady Jane" (1915)
"Abel and his Great Adventure" (1917)
"The Garden of Spices" (1918)
"The Bride is Waiting" (1932)
"I Know a Secret" (1935)

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Created July 11, 2003. Last updated March 23, 2021.
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Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea

Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea was published in 1989. The book is a collection of 16 of L.M. Montgomery's short stories that were rediscovered and edited by Rea Wilmshurt. Thematically, the tales in this collection all evoke L.M. Montgomery's love of the sea and Prince Edward Island. The stories contained in the volume are listed below with their original publication dates in parentheses:

"The Magical Bond of the Sea" (1903)
"The Life-Book of Uncle Jesse" (1909)
"Mackereling Out in the Gulf" (1905)
"Fair Exchange and No Robbery" (1907)
"Natty of Blue Point" (1904)
"The Light on the Big Dipper" (1906)
"An Adventure on Island Rock" (1906)
"How Don Was Saved" (1904)
"A Soul that Was Not at Home" (1909)
"Four Winds" (1908)
"A Sandshore Wooing" (1903)
"The Unhappiness of Miss Farquhar" (1903)
"A Strayed Allegiance" (1897)
"The Waking of Helen" (1901)
"Young Si" (1901)
"A House Divided Against Itself" (1930)

Image Credit:
Book cover of my Bantam 1993 edition of Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea featuring artwork by Ben Stahl. Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

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Created June 17, 2003. Last updated May 21, 2024.
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Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side

Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side is a collection of short stories by L.M. Montgomery. The stories were rediscovered, collected, and edited by Rea Wilmshurst and published in 1990. This collection of dark, supernatural, and somber tales includes ghost stories and mysteries. The 19 stories in the collection are listed below with their original publication dates in parentheses:

"The Closed Door" (1934)
"Davenport's Story" (1902)
"The Deacon's Painkiller" (unknown publication date)
"Detected by the Camera" (1897)
"From Out the Silence" (1934)
"The Girl at the Gate" (1906)
"The House Party at Smoky Island" (1935)
"The Man on the Train" (1914)
"The Martyrdom of Estella" (1902)
"Min" (1903)
"Miriam's Lover" (1901)
"Miss Calista's Peppermint Bottle" (1900)
"The Old Chest at Wyther Grange" (1903)
"The Red Room" (1898)
"A Redeeming Sacrifice" (1909)
"The Redemption of John Churchill" (1906)
"Some Fools and a Saint" (1931)
"The Tryst of the White Lady" (1922)
"White Magic" (1921)

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Created March 2, 2003. Last updated April 14, 2021.
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Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans

Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans is a collection of short stories by L.M. Montgomery. Editor Rea Wilmshurst rediscovered these tales and published this volume in 1988. The book contains 19 stories about orphans like Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables, who are characterized by loneliness, hope, and an ability to persevere and overcome adversity. The stories and their original publication dates are listed below:

"Charlotte's Quest" (1933)
"Marcella's Reward" (1907)
"An Invitation Given on Impulse" (1900)
"Freda's Adopted Grave" (1904)
"Ted's Afternoon Off" (1907)
"The Girl Who Drove the Cows" (1908)
"Why Not Ask Miss Price?" (1904)
"Jane Lavinia" (1906)
"The Running Away of Chester" (1903)
"Millicent's Double" (1905)
"Penelope's Party Waist" (1904)
"The Little Black Doll" (1909)
"The Fraser Scholarship" (1905)
"Her Own People" (1905)
"Miss Sally's Company" (1904)
"The Story of an Invitation" (1901)
"The Softening of Miss Cynthia" (1904)
"Margaret's Patient" (1908)
"Charlotte's Ladies" (1911)

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Created January 27, 2003. Last updated April 26, 2024.
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Across the Miles: Tales of Correspondence

Across the Miles: Tales of Correspondence was published in 1995 and contains 20 of L.M. Montgomery's stories that were rediscovered and edited by Rea Wilmshurst. It was special to read Rea Wilmshurst's account of how she discovered these stories in her afterward. Each story in some way involves a note, journal, letter, or some form of writing that leads the plot along. The stories contained in the volume are listed below with their original publication dates in parentheses:

"A Correspondence and a Climax" (1905)
"Cyrilla's Inspiration" (1905)
"Miss Sally's Letter" (1910)
"The Understanding of Sister Sara" (1905)
"Aunt Caroline's Silk Dress" (1907)
"The Old Fellow's Letter" (1907)
"The Promissory Note" (1907)
"Anna's Love Letters" (1908)
"At Five O'Clock in the Morning" (1905)
"The Letters" (1910)
"A Fortunate Mistake" (1904)
"The Growing Up of Cornelia" (1908)
"Aunt Susanna's Birthday Celebration" (1905)
"Miss Madeline's Proposal" (1904)
"The Girl and the Photograph" (1915)
"The Jest that Failed" (1901)
"A Millionaire's Proposal" (1907)
"Our Runaway Kite" (1903)
"The Schoolmaster's Letter" (1905)
"The Revolt of Mary Isabel" (1908)

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Created January 1, 2003. Last updated March 22, 2021.
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