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.
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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

#Maud150 Events at Acadia University

Later this month, two #Maud150 events will take place at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada to commemorate L.M. Montgomery's 150th birthday.

The first is a speech by Dr. Brenton Dickieson of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). He will present a talk titled, "Friends, Lovers, and Revivalist Shudders: L.M. Montgomery and Baptists" in the Reading Room of the Vaughan Memorial Library on November 18, 2024 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. The speech is free and open to the public.

Here is the description of the talk from the Acadia University website:

Acadia celebrates L.M. Montgomery's 150th birthday with a free talk titled "Friends, Lovers, and Revivalist Shudders: L.M. Montgomery and Baptists" by Dr. Brenton Dickieson (UPEI) in the Reading Room of Vaughan Memorial Library from 7-8 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

One of L.M. Montgomery’s more vividly drawn characters had “a holy horror of Methodists.” The main characters in the Anne series are thoroughly Presbyterian, but Montgomery has some fun playing with the cultural differences between the various Protestant denominations. The Cavendish Baptist church was part of Montgomery’s everyday life growing up, and she found herself frequenting the Baptists during her latter years in Toronto. Despite these connections, there were times when Montgomery’s journals reveal something like “a holy horror of Baptists.” From broken engagements to a threat of police action, a peek at Montgomery’s imagination of “Baptists” invites us to think about particular cultural moments in Eastern Canadian history and to enjoy her peculiar sense of religious humour that shapes our religious social imagination.

As a theologian of literature, Dr. Dickieson (UPEI) writes the popular website, A Pilgrim in Narnia, which explores the intersections of faith, fantasy, and fiction. With more than 2,000,000 views and fostering significant networks within the scholarly and readerly worlds of C.S. Lewis and the Inklings, Brenton has created a powerful platform for considering the literary, spiritual, and theological interest of some of our most famous world-builders, including C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, L.M. Montgomery, and others. Brenton also is the host of Maudcast: the official podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute at University of Prince Edward Island.

The second #Maud150 event is a mini-conference that will be held at the university. On November 25th and 27th, the honours and master's students enrolled in the course on "Adapting L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables" will host a mini-conference and present their research on L.M. Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables to the community. The conference will take place from 4:00-5:20 p.m. on November 25th and 27th in BAC203. This event is open to the public according to Acadia University's calendar of events.

Image Credit:
Poster advertising Brenton Dickieson's speech from Acadia University.

Created November 15, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Cornelius Leard House for Sale in Lower Bedeque, Prince Edward Island

For a period of six months in 1897 and 1898, L.M. Montgomery boarded with Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Leard while she taught school in in Lower Bedeque, Prince Edward Island. During the time, Montgomery was secretly engaged to Edwin Simpson, but she found herself attracted to the Leard family’s oldest son Herman, according to her journals.

The Cornelius Leard House was formally recognized as a historic place in 2010. At different points in time, the house was run as a museum, a bed and breakfast, and a restaurant. It is currently for sale for $99,000 CAD and in need of care and major repairs. You can learn more about the home in this video by CBC News.

Image credit:
Screen capture from the CBC News website.

References:
Cornelius Leard House. Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. Retrieved from: https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=19168.

Home where 'Anne' author L.M. Montgomery had a forbidden romance is up for sale. (October 25, 2024). CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6546552.

Created October 25, 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.
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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

Anne of the Library-on-the-Hill

Anne of the Library-on-the-Hill is a children's book by Catherine Little and beautifully illustrated by Sae Kimura that was published by Plumleaf Press on August 1, 2024. Set in Toronto after WWI, the book tells the story of a young girl named Anne who loves her local library and books by L.M. Montgomery. Anne grows excited when Montgomery visits her town.

The book is 32 pages long and geared toward children ages 6–10. Catherine Little is a teacher and writer, who lives in Toronto, Ontario. While reading L.M. Montgomery's journals, she learned that Montgomery had once visited her neighborhood in Toronto. This knowledge inspired her to write this book. Sae Kimura is an artist and illustrator who is from Japan and moved to Toronto in 2011.

Here is the book's description from Plumleaf Press:

Growing up in the shadow of the Great War, Anne finds comfort in her neighbourhood library, where she loses herself in books, often imagining herself as part of the story. She particularly loves the books of L.M. Montgomery — and her imagination really takes off when she learns her beloved author is in town.

Image credit:
Cover of Anne of the Library-on-the-Hill by Plumleaf Press.

Purchase and read Anne of the Library-on-the-Hill:


Created August 28, 2024.
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Call Me Maud Exhibit

In commemoration of L.M. Montgomery's 150th birthday this year, Kawartha Lakes Economic Development is presenting an exhibit titled "Call Me Maud." The exhibit explores L.M. Montgomery's life and includes information on her surprising connection to Kawartha Lakes.

The exhibit opened on July 23, 2024 and is located on the second floor of the Kawartha Lakes City Hall at 26 Francis Street in Lindsay, Ontario. Visitors can view the exhibit from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until November 29, 2024. Admission is free of charge.

The Call Me Maud exhibit is based on research by Dr. Christy Woster who wrote an essay called "L.M. Montgomery and the Railway King of Canada" that was published in The Shining Scroll newsletter for the L.M. Montgomery Literary Society in 2005. In her article, Woster described how L.M. Montgomery’s father's second wife Mary Ann McRae was originally from the Kirkfield area in Kawartha Lakes. McRae was the niece of Sir William Mackenzie, the famous Canadian railway contractor and entrepreneur from Kirkfield. During the years that Montgomery lived in Ontario, she would often visit the Mackenzie estate, and she wrote about these visits in her journals.

To accompany the Call Me Maud exhibit, Kawartha Lakes Economic Development will present a virtual talk and in-person tea event on August 18, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. with support from the Kirkfield and District Historical Society and Museum. Dr. Emily Woster will give a virtual presentation on L.M. Montgomery's connection to Kirkfield and her time in Ontario. This event will take place at 992 Portage Road in Kirkfield, Ontario at the Kirkfield and District Museum and Historical Society. Refreshments will be served from L.M. Montgomery's personal recipe book. Tickets for the event cost $25.

The Call Me Maud exhibit webpage features four recipes from L.M. Montgomery's original ledger that were passed down through her family to Elaine Crawford and her daughter, Kelly Crawford. You can download PDFs for L.M. Montgomery's recipes for Marion's orange cake, Boston cookies, applesauce cake, and lemon crumbles. These recipes (and many more) were included in Elaine and Kelly Crawford's book Aunt Maud’s Recipe Book: From the Kitchen of L.M. Montgomery.


Official Website:
Call Me Maud Exhibit

Image Credit:
Image from the Call Me Maud Exhibit website.

References:
'Call Me Maud' Lucy Maud Montgomery exhibit comes to Lindsay. (2024, July 24). Kawartha Lakes. Retrieved from: https://www.kawarthalakes.ca/en/news/call-me-maud-lucy-maud-montgomery-exhibit-comes-to-lindsay.aspx.

Head, Bruce. (2024, July 24). New exhibit explores ‘Anne of Green Gables’ author’s connection to Kawartha Lakes. kawarthaNOW. Retrieved from: https://kawarthanow.com/2024/07/24/new-exhibit-explores-anne-of-green-gables-authors-connection-to-kawartha-lakes/.

Created July 30, 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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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.

Purchase and read The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables:



Created May 16, 2024.
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Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island

Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island is a guidebook that features locations that inspired L.M. Montgomery to write Anne of Green Gables. The travel guide was published by Ragweed Press as part of their "Island Pathways" series. The book was edited by Kathleen Hamilton and Sibyl Frei. The color photography is by John Sylvester, and the book includes many archival photos from the Prince Edward Island Public Archives.

It's a small spiral bound travel guide. I own a copy of the third printing, which was published in 1998. The guidebook features quotes from L.M. Montgomery's journals and from the Anne of Green Gables novels. The book's introduction states:

"This guidebook is designed for all those who are looking for ANNE and her creator, L.M. Montgomery, and it features the Island locations that you will most want to visit. The chapters are arranged alphabetically by location; each describes a different community on the Island, outlining the places of importance to L.M. Montgomery, and the ANNE attractions to be found there. Entertaining quotations from Anne of Green Gables and the other ANNE books are sprinkled through the chapters."

The contents include the following chapters:

Introduction
Belmont
Bideford
Cavendish
Charlottetown
French River
Hunter River
Kensington
Lower Bedeque
Malpeque
New London
Park Corner
Anne Day Tour
Select Bibliography
Index of Featured Attractions

Each chapter is subdivided into three sections: (1) The Setting, (2) About L.M. Montgomery, and (3) Attractions and Activities. Although so much information is readily available online, I still like to have a guidebook on hand when traveling. I like this one because it is focused on L.M. Montgomery's experiences and perspectives.


Image credit:
Photograph of the Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island book cover by World of Anne Shirley.

Purchase the Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island travel guidebook:

Created May 9, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

L.M. Montgomery and the Magic of Spring

As winter gives way to spring, there is freshness in the air. Sprouts emerge from the cold soil, leaves take form on bare tree limbs, and animals return to activity.

L.M. Montgomery captured this sensation as she wrote in her journal on May 1, 1899 in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island:

"There is a magic about the spring—some power that revives half-dead hopes and faiths and thrills numbed souls with the elixir of new life. There is no age in spring—everybody seems young and joyful. Care is in abeyance for a little while and hearts throb with the instinct for immortality."

In spring, Montgomery feels that everyone is ageless. The return of warmth brings cheer; the sense of revival in nature brings hope.

When Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables, she again reflected on the magic of spring, writing:

"Marilla, walking home one late April evening from an Aid meeting, realized that the winter was over and gone with the thrill of delight that spring never fails to bring to the oldest and saddest as well as to the youngest and merriest."

Today, like L.M. Montgomery, I’m glad it’s spring—a season that warms spirits, revives half-dead hopes, and allows us to feel youthful and joyful.


Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

Reference:
Montgomery, L.M. The Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900. ed. Mary Henley Rubio and Elizabeth Hillman Waterston. Oxford University Press. 2017.

Created May 2, 2024. Last updated August 21, 2024.
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Five Facts About L.M. Montgomery

It’s L.M. Montgomery’s birthday today. She was born on 147 years ago on November 30, 1874. To celebrate the anniversary of Montgomery’s birth, here are five facts about her:

1. Born Lucy Maud Montgomery, she preferred her middle name “Maud” over her first name.
   
   
2. L.M. Montgomery contracted influenza during the 1918 flu pandemic and was seriously ill with the disease.
   
   
3. During her childhood, L.M. Montgomery had two imaginary friends, Katie Maurice and Lucy Gray, who helped her cope with her loneliness and solitude.
   
   
4. L.M. Montgomery experienced a deep emotional and spiritual connection in nature, which she described as “the flash.”
   
   
5. In 1935, King George V appointed L.M. Montgomery as an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This British order of chivalry honored her contributions to literature.
   
   

Image credit:
Photograph of L.M. Montgomery, ca. 1935. Library and Archives Canada, Public Domain.

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Created November 30, 2021.
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Who is L.M. Montgomery?

Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Canada on November 30, 1874. During her lifetime, L.M. Montgomery wrote 20 novels, over 500 short stories, one book of poetry, an autobiography, a life's worth of journals, approximately 500 poems, and a nonfiction book called Courageous Women. Of her work, L.M. Montgomery is best known for writing the novel Anne of Green Gables and giving the world the beloved literary character Anne Shirley, an imaginative, intelligent, loving, red-haired orphan in search of a home.

Image credit:
Photograph of L.M. Montgomery, 1930. Toronto Public Library from the Toronto Star Photograph Archive, Public Domain.

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Created February 10, 2002. Last updated March 24, 2021.
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Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript

Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript by L.M. Montgomery and edited by Carolyn Strom Collins was released by Nimbus Publishing in July 2019. L.M. Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables by hand over the course of eight months. From her handwritten text, Montgomery then typed the novel out. She sent her typed copy to publishers, and held onto her handwritten manuscript for her entire life. The handwritten manuscript is currently housed in the archives at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown. Prince Edward Island.

Carolyn Strom Collins worked with the archivists at the Confederation Centre of the Arts to examine, photograph, and transcribe L.M. Montgomery's original 844-page text. Her book Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript includes her full transcription of L.M. Montgomery's handwritten text along with Montgomery's edits and notes. The book provides insight into Montgomery's writing and creative process. As one example, L.M. Montgomery initially called Diana Barry by the name Laura, and then changed the character's name to Gertrude, before she decided to call her Diana.

In an interview with CBC News, Strom Collins talked about how special the experience was to spend time with Montgomery's text, saying, "It gives you a little chill in a way, a little thrill because you know that was her pride and joy. She touched those pages, she wrote with pen and ink, she dipped the pen in ink every few lines." Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript includes a wonderful introduction by Carolyn Strom Collins that provides a wealth of information about the original manuscript, the first published edition of Anne of Green Gables, and the transcribed text. Carolyn Strom Collins also presents quotes from Montgomery's journals and letters about writing Anne and about her inspiration for the novel.


Here is the description of the book from Nimbus Publishing:

This fascinating book presents the original text of Montgomery’s most famous manuscript, including where the author scribbled notes, made additions and deletions, and other editorial details. L. M. Montgomery scholar Carolyn Strom Collins offers a rare look into Montgomery’s creative process, providing a never-before-published version of the worldwide phenomenon.

This book differs from previous versions of Anne in that it provides a transcription of the text and notes from Montgomery’s original manuscript, and shows how they were integrated to form the full novel. The culmination of years of research, Anne of Green Gables: the Original Manuscript is a necessary addition to any Montgomery lover’s collection. This volume features scans of the first page of each chapter from the original archived document (showing editorial notes in Montgomery’s handwriting) and an appendix of rare foreign-language covers.

Review

“"Here's one for devoted Anne fans and anyone curious about the creative process."
―Halifax Magazine

Image credit:
Book cover of Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript.

Reference:
New book offers fans a look at handwritten manuscript of Anne of Green Gables. (2019, July 30). CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-new-book-looks-at-original-manuscript-of-anne-green-gables-1.5230806

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Created August 25, 2019. Last updated September 3, 2024.
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L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1930-1933

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1930–1933 edited by Jen Rubio was published by Rock's Mill Press in 2019. The unabridged editions of L.M. Montgomery's journals paint a fuller, darker picture of her inner thoughts and moods, her passions, and her literary ambitions. In this seventh volume of L.M. Montgomery's complete journals, Montgomery gives a compelling account of painful difficulties, mysterious secrets, and deep disappointments.


Here is the description of the volume from the Rock's Mill Press:

L.M. Montgomery’s journals speak of simple pleasures and deep joy, dogged worries and profound disappointments. The story of her life from 1930 to 1933 is as gripping as the earlier volumes published by Rock’s Mills Press. This volume is different from earlier ones in a surprising way, however: “It has happened. It is too cruel and hideous and unexpected to write about. I have spent two days in hell. I cannot see how I am to go on living. . . . And I have had to keep up a face to the world when something in my soul was bleeding to death” (February 5, 1933). The truth of this “cruel and hideous” event is, for a time, too diffcult to commit to her journals; it casts a shadow of shame on Montgomery’s life for months. When she finally explains, it is page-turning material that gives a fascinating look into the hidden side of life in Ontario almost a century ago. Montgomery also recounts other difficult situations facing her in those years, including attempts to help a slippery young man facing embezzlement charges and a younger woman’s obsessive crush on her. Over 100 of Montgomery’s own photographs are included, many never before published. This edition also includes an introduction, extensive notes, and an index of photography, all original to this edition.

2019
Paperback, 386 pp. ISBN-13: 978-1-77244-175-8

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Book cover of L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1930–1933.

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Created June 1, 2018. Last updated August 23, 2024.
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House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery

House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery is a biography by Liz Rosenberg with charming illustrations by Julie Morstad. Published in June 2018 by Candlewick Press, the book is geared towards young adult readers. Rosenberg brings Montgomery's biography to life as a story, fully engaging readers in Montgomery's world. She describes L.M. Montgomery's successes and joys, as well as her anxieties and sorrows.


Here is the description of the book from Candlewick Press:

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Maud who adored stories. When she was fourteen years old, Maud wrote in her journal, "I love books. I hope when I grow up to be able to have lots of them." Not only did Maud grow up to own lots of books, she wrote twenty-four of them herself as L. M. Montgomery, the world-renowned author of Anne of Green Gables. For many years, not a great deal was known about Maud’s personal life. Her childhood was spent with strict, undemonstrative grandparents, and her reflections on writing, her lifelong struggles with anxiety and depression, her "year of mad passion," and her difficult married life remained locked away, buried deep within her unpublished personal journals. Through this revealing and deeply moving biography, kindred spirits of all ages who, like Maud, never gave up "the substance of things hoped for" will be captivated anew by the words of this remarkable woman.

An affecting biography of the author of Anne of Green Gables is the first for young readers to include revelations about her last days and to encompass the complexity of a brilliant and sometimes troubled life.

Reviews

"Rosenberg paints a deep, complex portrait of a vibrant, brilliant, yet troubled woman. At the beginning of every chapter, Morstad accompanies these descriptions with Quentin Blake-like ink illustrations that capture the strange mix of whimsy, humor, and solemnity that permeated Maud’s thoughts. Recommend to Anne fans, aspiring writers, or anyone wanting a peek inside the mind of a famous author who constantly fought for success and happiness."
—Booklist

"Rosenberg writes clearly and honestly, making liberal use of Maud's own words, allowing Maud's courage and joy to shine despite her very real problems...A kind, thoughtful, nuanced portrayal of one of the icons of children's literature."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Rosenberg’s comprehensive biography of the author of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series presents a multidimensional portrait of a complicated and conflicted writer...this illuminating and satisfying biography takes on life and depth as Montgomery’s own voice grows more prominent."
—Publishers Weekly

Image credit:
Book cover of House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery.

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Created July 11, 2018. Last updated October 24, 2024.
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L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1922-1925

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1922–1925 edited by Jen Rubio was published by Rock's Mill Press in 2018. The unabridged editions of L.M. Montgomery's journals paint a fuller, darker picture of her inner thoughts and moods, her passions, and her literary ambitions. In this fifth volume of L.M. Montgomery's complete journals, Montgomery describes her last four years living in Leaskdale, Ontario.


Here is the description of the volume from the Rock's Mill Press:

L.M. Montgomery's last four years in Leaskdale were marked by a series of unpredictable, and often unmanageable, events. Her account of these events, as they often twisted in increasingly unexpected directions, makes for spellbinding reading. From 1919, Montgomery's life had been troubled by her husband's recurring bouts of mental illness. During the years recounted here, his mood disturbances became profound: "I dare not remain here alone with him if he continues like this," she writes at one particularly low point. Other events added more complications to an already entangled life. A spurious lawsuit brought by a local farmer (claiming an enlarged prostate gland had been caused by a car collision) divided the community; Montgomery's description of the trial, before and after, is riveting. Communities across Ontario were also deeply divided by Church Union, which came to a head in 1925. Her occasional eyebrow-raising comments about members of other denominations remind us that she shared many of the biases of her time. Published now for the first time is the complete record of her life from 1922 to 1925, including the hundreds of photographs that she inserted in the handwritten journals.

Paperback, 468 pp., ISBN-13: 978-1-77244-132-1

Image credit:
Book cover of L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1922–1925.

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Created June 1, 2018. Last updated August 23, 2024.
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L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s)

L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s) was published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in April 2018. This book of scholarship examines L.M. Montgomery's appreciation for nature and her depictions of nature in her writings. It was edited by Rita Bode and Jean Mitchell. The volume contains contributions by Catriona Sandilands, Jennifer H. Litster, Nancy Holmes, Rita Bode, Elizabeth Rollins Epperly, Jean Mitchell, Kate Sutherland, Tara K. Parmiter, Paul Keen, Laura M. Robinson, Lesley D. Clement, and Idette Noomé.

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

A critical study of L.M. Montgomery’s relationship to the material world and the revealing interconnections between nature and culture.

L.M. Montgomery’s writings are replete with enchanting yet subtle and fluid depictions of nature that convey her intense appreciation for the natural world. At a time of ecological crises, intensifying environmental anxiety, and burgeoning eco-critical perspectives, L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s) repositions the Canadian author’s relationship to nature in terms of current environmental criticism across several disciplines, introducing a fresh approach to her life and work.

Drawing on a wide range of Montgomery’s novels as well as her journals, this collection suggests that socio-ecological relationships encompass ideas of reciprocity, affiliation, autonomy, and the capacity for transformation in both the human and more-than-human worlds, and that these ideas are integral to Montgomery’s vision and her literary legacy. Framed by the twin themes of materiality and interrelationships, essays by scholars of literature, law, animal studies, anthropology, and ecology examine place, embodiment, and difference in Montgomery’s works and embrace the multiplicities embedded in the concept of nature.

Through innovative critical approaches, L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s) opens up conversations about humans’ interactions with nature and the material environment.

Reviews

“An emphasis on humanity’s interrelatedness with nature extends the significance of L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s) past Montgomery studies and Canadian literary and cultural studies to engage with the larger issues of how humans’ interactions with nature shape our daily lives and the future of the planet.” Mary Jeanette Moran, Illinois State University

“This collection is significant for its ability to offer unexpected, highly convincing engagements with L. M. Montgomery’s work and disciplines far beyond the scope of traditional literary studies. It provides new perspectives on Montgomery’s oeuvre, while also extending the definition of environmental study and eco-critical analysis in this field.” Sarah Galletly, James Cook University

"The linked themes of understanding and empathy toward the natural world supply a bridge between the literary and the ecological, between the writer and the places she knew. Matter of Nature(s) is a wonderful opportunity to place one of Canada’s most prolific and well-known authors in a wider environmental history." American Review of Canadian Studies

“[L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s)] successfully offers a broad spectrum of insights on the ways in which Montgomery’s fiction and nonfiction address the conceptof interconnectedness between the human and the nonhuman. Each chapter provides a concise and clear analysis that points readers to new perspectives, and the breadth of the collection overall highlights many new avenues of research that remain to be explored.” International Research for Children’s Literature

The book includes the following content and essays:

Introduction: L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s) by Rita Bode and Jean Mitchell

Part One: Nature’s Places

1. Fire, Fantasy, and Futurity: Queer Ecology Visits Silver Bush by Catriona Sandilands
2. The Scotsman, the Scribe, and the Spyglass: Going Back with L.M. Montgomery to Prince Edward Island by Jennifer H. Litster
3. Romantic Novelist as Naturalist: John Foster and the Bird Woman by Nancy Holmes
4. L.M. Montgomery’s “Indoors and Out”: Imagining an Organic Architecture by Rita Bode

Part Two: Nature’s Embodiments

5. Natural Bridge: L.M. Montgomery and the Architecture of Imaginative Landscapes by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly
6. L.M. Montgomery’s Neurasthenia: Embodied Nature and the Matter of Nerves by Jean Mitchell
7. The Education of Emily: Tempering a Force of Nature through Lessons in Law by Kate Sutherland
8. The Spirit of Inquiry: Nature Study and the Sense of Wonder in L.M. Montgomery’s Anne Books by Tara K. Parmiter

Part Three: Nature’s Otherness

9. “No London street Arabs for me”: The Unnatural Orphan in Anne of Green Gables by Paul Keen
10. Kindred Spirits: Kinship and the Nature of Nature in Anne’s House of Dreams and The Blue Castle by Laura M. Robinson
11. The Empathic Poetic Sensibility: Discerning and Embodying Nature’s Secrets by Lesley D. Clement
12. The Nature of the Beast: Pets and People in L.M. Montgomery’s Fiction by Idette Noomé


Image credit:
Book cover of L.M. Montgomery and the Matter of Nature(s) from McGill-Queen’s University Press.

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Created May 15, 2018. Last updated June 10, 2024.
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L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1926-1929

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1926–1929 edited by Jen Rubio was published by Rock's Mill Press in 2017. The unabridged editions of L.M. Montgomery's journals paint a fuller, darker picture of her inner thoughts and moods, her passions, and her literary ambitions. In this sixth volume of L.M. Montgomery's complete journals, Montgomery describes her move to Norval, Ontario and her thoughts on her own life and writing style in a changing world.


Here is the description of the volume from the Rock's Mill Press:

L.M. Montgomery's relocation in 1926 to Norval, Ontario, a village of striking natural beauty located on the Credit River, furnished her life with a bright new texture. She had lived 15 years in the small farming community of Leaskdale, Ontario, where she experienced her full share of life's highs and lows. Although Montgomery remained busy in Norval, working almost incessantly as an author, mother, and minister's wife, she found that her new home had its own special, and often very pleasing, flavour. Her connection to the "spirit of place" enabled her to record moments of peace and reflection in the "Garden of the Wild Gods," as she described it -- as well as the occasional "bark at the moon." Aware that the world was changing and that her own style of writing was not always sufficiently "edgy," Montgomery's commentary on the transformation of the world around her is infused with characteristic wit and insight ("The mills of the gods grind slowly but they do pulverize," she notes wryly in a journal entry of May 3, 1929). As a social history of a rapidly changing Canada, Montgomery's journals -- presented here complete and unexpurgated for the first time -- offer fascinating insights. Her thoughts on her own life are also illuminating. This new edition includes more than 200 of Montgomery's own photographs, many never before published. Editor Jen Rubio has provided hundreds of annotations, all original to this edition, as well as a new introduction to the volume.

Paperback, 344 pp. ISBN-13: 978-1-77244-080-5

Image credit:
Book cover of L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1926–1929.

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Created May 30, 2017. Last updated August 23, 2024.
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