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

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

The Blue Castle: The Original Manuscript

The Blue Castle: The Original Manuscript by L.M. Montgomery and edited and annotated by Carolyn Strom Collins was released by Nimbus Publishing in May 2024. L.M. Montgomery published The Blue Castle in 1926, and it was her first novel written for adults.

In The Blue Castle: The Original Manuscript, Carolyn Strom Collins presents a full transcription of L.M. Montgomery's handwritten text of the novel. The book includes the edits and notes L.M. Montgomery made while composing the story, providing insight into her creative process. As one example, L.M. Montgomery initially named the protagonist Miranda before deciding to name her Valancy. In addition, the book displays images of select pages from Montgomery's original handwritten manuscript.


Here is the description of the book from Nimbus Publishing:

Published for the first time ever, the first draft of The Blue Castle exactly as L. M. Montgomery originally wrote it, with critical context from a leading Montgomery scholar.

Available for the first time ever, the original draft of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s The Blue Castle is presented with scribbled notes, character name changes, additions and deletions, and other pre-publication changes, offering fascinating new insight into the writing process of one of Canada’s most beloved writers.

First published in 1926, The Blue Castle is one of Montgomery’s few adult novels—and the only one set entirely outside of the author’s home province of Prince Edward Island. Montgomery scholar Carolyn Strom Collins provides a transcription of the text and notes from Montgomery’s handwritten manuscript, showing how they were integrated to form the published novel. (Major changes include changing the inspiring main character’s name from Miranda to Valancy, and Barney’s beloved cat from Jigglesqueak to Banjo.)

Edited with a keen eye to detail and deep respect for the writer’s creative process, and featuring high-quality photographs of select pages of the original manuscript, The Blue Castle: The Original Manuscript is a necessary addition to any Montgomery lover’s collection.

Image credit:
Book cover of The Blue Castle: The Original Manuscript.

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Created September 19, 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.

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Created May 26, 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.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Becoming Green Gables

Becoming Green Gables: The Diary of Myrtle Webb and Her Famous Farmhouse is a book by Alan MacEachern that will be published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in June 2024. Myrtle and Ernest Webb owned the farm that their cousin L.M. Montgomery based "Green Gables" upon. According to The Green Gables Diary website: "In spring 1924, Myrtle Webb began keeping a diary about her life on an ordinary farm in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. Ordinary but for one thing: it was growing famous as the inspiration for Anne of Green Gables, written by her cousin L.M. Montgomery."

MacEachern's book tells "The story of the family whose home inspired Anne of Green Gables and how that literary connection enriched - and upended - their lives." His book examines the history of Green Gables and how the popularity of L.M. Montgomery's novel affected the Webb family and tourism to Prince Edward Island.

A digital exhibition that will accompany the book called "The Green Gables Diary" will launch this spring at: https://greengablesdiary.ca/

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

In 1909 Myrtle and Ernest Webb took possession of an ordinary farm in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. Ordinary but for one thing: it was already becoming known as inspiration for Anne of Green Gables, the novel written by Myrtle’s cousin Lucy Maud Montgomery and published to international acclaim a year earlier. The Webbs welcomed visitors to “Green Gables” and soon took in summer boarders, making their home the heart of PEI’s tourist trade. In the 1930s the farm was made the centrepiece of a new national park - and still the family lived there for another decade, caretakers of their own home. During these years Myrtle kept a diary. When she first picked up the pencil in 1924, she was a forty-year-old homemaker running a household of eight. By the time she set the pencil down in 1954, she was a seventy-year-old widow, no longer resident in what was now the most famous house in Canada. Becoming Green Gables tells the story of Myrtle Webb and her family, and the making of Green Gables. Alan MacEachern reproduces a selection of the diary’s daily entries, using them as springboards to examine topics ranging from the adoption of modern conveniences to the home front hosting of soldiers in wartime and visits from “Aunt Maud” herself. While the foundation of Becoming Green Gables is the Webbs’ own story, it is also a history of their famous home, their community, the nation, and the world in which they lived.

Reviews

“Humorous in some places and a tearjerker in others, Becoming Green Gables captures an untold story about the famed Green Gables and home-grown tourism prior to the founding of the national park.”
–Catharine Anne Wilson, author of Being Neighbours: Cooperative Work and Rural Culture, 1830-1960

“Becoming Green Gables provides an appreciation of the complex grassroots history of one of Canada’s most beloved historical sites.”
–Melanie J. Fishbane, author of Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery

I am looking forward to reading this book and the launch of the digital exhibit.

Image credit:
Book cover of Becoming Green Gables: The Diary of Myrtle Webb and Her Famous Farmhouse by Alan MacEachern from McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Official website:
The Green Gables Diary

Purchase and read Becoming Green Gables:


Created May 14, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

L.M. Montgomery and Gender

L.M. Montgomery and Gender was published in November 2021 by McGill-Queen’s University Press. This book of scholarship examines how L.M. Montgomery challenged gender constructions and gender roles in her writing. It was edited by Laura M. Robinson and E. Holly Pike. The volume contains contributions by Kazuko Sakuma, Lesley D. Clement, Ashley N. Reese, Bonnie J. Tulloch, Mavis Reimer, Rebecca J. Thompson, E. Holly Pike, Wanda Campbell, Vappu Kannas, Catherine Clark, Carole Gerson, Christina Hitchcock, Kiera Ball, Heather Ladd, Erin Spring, Jane Urquhart, Tara K. Parmiter, and Elizabeth Rollins Epperly.

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

The celebrated author of Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon receives much-deserved additional consideration in L.M. Montgomery and Gender. Nineteen contributors take a variety of critical and theoretical positions, from historical analyses of the White Feather campaign and discussions of adoption to medical discourses of death and disease, explorations of Montgomery’s use of humour, and the author’s rewriting of masculinist traditions.

The essays span Montgomery’s writing, exploring her famous Anne and Emily books as well as her short fiction, her comic journal composed with her friend Nora Lefurgey, and less-studied novels such as Magic for Marigold and The Blue Castle. Dividing the chapters into five sections - on masculinities and femininities, domestic space, humour, intertexts, and being in time - L.M. Montgomery and Gender addresses the degree to which Montgomery’s work engages and exposes, reflects and challenges the gender roles around her, underscoring how her writing has shaped future representations of gender.

Of interest to historians, feminists, gender scholars, scholars of literature, and Montgomery enthusiasts, this wide-ranging collection builds on the depth of current scholarship in its approach to the complexity of gender in the works of one of Canada’s best-loved authors.

Review

"A book-length study on this author's rich and complex relationship with gender norms and expectations, and her myriad depictions of gender, is overdue. Because modern understanding of gender identity and contemporary awareness of gender issues are increasingly prominent in cultural discussions, this book, with its many perspectives on gender in Montgomery's work, is extraordinarily timely." Caroline Jones, Austin Community College

The book includes the following content and essays:

INTRODUCTION

“You Don’t Want Me Because I’m Not a Boy”: L.M. Montgomery and Gender by E. Holly Pike and Laura M. Robinson

MASCULINITIES AND FEMININITIES

1. The White Feather: Gender and War in L.M. Montgomery’s Rilla of Ingleside by Kazuko Sakuma
2. From “Uncanny Beauty” to “Uncanny Disease”: Destabilizing Gender through the Deaths of Ruby Gillis and Walter Blythe and the Life of Anne Shirley by Lesley D. Clement
3. Barney of the Island: Nature and Gender in Montgomery’s The Blue Castle by Ashley N. Reese

DOMESTIC SPACE

4. The Robinsonade versus the Annescapade: Exploring the “Adventure” in Anne of Green Gables by Bonnie J. Tulloch
5. Soliciting Home: The Cultural Function of Orphans in Early Twentieth-Century Canada by Mavis Reimer
6. “That House Belongs to Me”: The Appropriation of Patriarchal Space in L.M. Montgomery’s Emily Trilogy by Rebecca J. Thompson

HUMOUR

7. Cross-Dressing: Twins, Language, and Gender in L.M. Montgomery’s Short Fiction by E. Holly Pike
8. “I’m Noted for That”: Comic Subversion and Gender in L.M. Montgomery’s “The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham’s” and “Aunt Philippa and the Men” by Wanda Campbell
9. “Nora and I Got Through the Evening”: Gender Roles and Romance in the Diary of L.M. Montgomery and Nora Lefurgey by Vappu Kannas

INTERTEXTS

10. The Blue Castle: Sex and the Revisionist Fairy Tale by Catherine Clark
11. L.M. Montgomery, E. Pauline Johnson, and the Figure of the “Half-Breed Girl” by Carole Gerson
12. Orgies of Lovemaking: L.M. Montgomery’s Feminine Version of the Augustinian Community by Christina Hitchcock and Kiera Ball
13. Feminizing Thomson’s The Seasons: Identity, Gender, and Seasonal Aesthetics in L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables by Heather Ladd and Erin Spring

BEING IN TIME

14. Her Reader by Jane Urquhart
15. Like a Childless Mother: L.M. Montgomery and the Anguish of Mother’s Loss by Tara K. Parmiter
16. Magic for Marigold: Engendering Questions about What Lasts by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly


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

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Created November 25, 2021. Last updated June 11, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

The Anne Chronicles Podcast Series

The Anne Chronicles is a three-episode podcast series by Pickering Museum Village about the Anne of Green Gables series written by L.M. Montgomery. The series is hosted by Lisa Bialy and launched on April 6, 2021 as part of Pickering's "Anne and Maud Experience." In the podcasts, Bialy discusses aspects of the first six books in the Anne series: Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, and Anne of Ingleside.

Each episode is a conversation between Lisa Bialy and a guest. They discuss similarities and connections between L.M. Montgomery and Anne Shirley, provide historical context for the novels, and delve into differences between Anne's world and the present day. The episodes cover Anne and Maud's experiences with teaching and education, adoption and family, and love and marriage. The series was produced with the support of Canadian Heritage and the Government of Ontario.

Series Description:

When she was 14 years old, Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote in her diary: "I love books. I hope when I grow up to be able to have lots of them." Known to her friends and family as Maud, this Canadian author of 24 books introduced us to the character of Anne Shirley. Although she always stated her Anne of Green Gables stories were not based on her life, you will discover the striking connections between fact and fiction as we explore the world of the author and her beloved character, Anne Shirley, in this series of podcasts. Financially supported by @CDN_Heritage & Government of Ontario

Episode Synopses:

Episode 1: Teaching and Education (22 minutes) - Anne Shirley became a teacher at the tender age of 16 which wasn’t uncommon in the 1880s. Even Maud had a career as a teacher, briefly. We’ll uncover the joys and struggles they both encountered as we wander through their lives in the one-room schoolhouse.

Episode 2: Adoption and Family (19 minutes) - Anne Shirley always imagined what it would be like to have a family. When she was adopted by brother and sister Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert she thought her dreams had come true. But they wanted a boy. Maud also grew up without her mother or father and was raised by her grandparents. We’ll reveal what adoption was really like, and explore the journey to find a family.

Episode 3: Love and Marriage (19 minutes) - Anne Shirley and Maud Montgomery weren’t sure about marriage and both turned down several marriage proposals. They always thought their relationships were more like friendships until their feelings grew into something more. Anne eventually accepted Gilbert Blythe and Maud married Rev. Ewan MacDonald. Was it "happily ever after" for them?


Official websites:

The Anne Chronicles at Apple Podcasts
The Anne Chronicles at Spotify

Image credit:

The Anne Chronicles podcast series banner.

Created April 8, 2021. Last updated April 16, 2025.
© worldofanneshirley.com

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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Readying Rilla: L.M. Montgomery's Reworking of Rilla of Ingleside

Readying Rilla: L.M. Montgomery's Reworking of Rilla of Ingleside edited by Elizabeth Waterston and Kate Waterston was published by Rock's Mill Press on February 25, 2016. The book includes a full transcription of Montgomery's 518-page handwritten original manuscript of the novel as well as the additional 71 pages of “notes” Montgomery composed while writing the story. L.M. Montgomery's handwritten pages were transcribed by Kate Waterston. The book also includes annotations of the text. Examining the manuscript and the finished novel provides insight into L.M. Montgomery's creative process as a writer.

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

L.M. Montgomery began writing Rilla of Ingleside shortly after the end of World War I. Her story of the war was not about soldiers fighting and dying on Flanders Fields, but about Canadians struggling to “keep the home fires burning.” It is a novel that today remains at once both deeply moving and, on occasion, very funny. As she wrote the novel over a period of two years, Montgomery accumulated 518 handwritten pages. Alongside this stack was another 71 pages, titled “Notes.” These notes---literary second thoughts, as it were---added textual flavour, improving the novel’s realism, emotional depth, and humour. Montgomery’s handwritten manuscript of Rilla was acquired by the University of Guelph Archival & Special Collections in 1999. This manuscript has been painstakingly rendered in a readable format by Kate Waterston and is now published as Readying Rilla, with an introduction by Montgomery expert Elizabeth Waterston.

This edition is a surprisingly engrossing read, but offers a different experience than the finished novel provides. Here we sense Montgomery’s own thought processes, and witness the way she carefully refined her novel. The world has changed much since 1921: now books are mostly composed on computer, leaving behind little record of the writer’s creative journey to a final published work. But editing is a key process in creating any great work of fiction, and here is one of the most detailed records of creativity available.

L.M. MONTGOMERY, OBE (1874–1942) wrote 20 books in her lifetime, including Anne of Green Gables (1908), Rilla of Ingleside (1921) and Emily of New Moon (1923). She also kept a series of journals from the age of fifteen to the end of her life.

Reviews

“I love L.M. Montgomery's novel Rilla of Ingleside, and this gives a whole new way of seeing and appreciating it. As always, Elizabeth Waterston's prose is beautiful, and her introduction makes the reader want to dive right in to see what pattern can be intuited from the kinds of changes [Montgomery] made on the manuscript. Altogether a fascinating read.
- Elizabeth R. Epperly, author of The Fragrance of Sweet-Grass: L.M. Montgomery's Heroines and the Pursuit of Romance

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Book cover of Readying Rilla: L.M. Montgomery's Reworking of Rilla of Ingleside from Rock's Mill Press.

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Created March 15, 2016. Last updated June 9, 2024.
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L.M. Montgomery's Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years, 1911-1942

L.M. Montgomery's Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years, 1911-1942 was published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in October 2015. This volume of scholarship examines L.M. Montgomery's life and work during her decades living in Ontario, Canada. The book was edited by Rita Bode and Lesley D. Clement. There are contributions by Elizabeth Waterston, Mary Beth Cavert, Margaret Steffler, Laura M. Robinson, Caroline E. Jones, William V. Thompson, Melanie J. Fishbane, Katherine Cameron, Emily Woster, Natalie Forest, E. Holly Pike, Linda Rodenburg, Kate Sutherland, Lesley D. Clement, and Kate Macdonald Butler.

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

Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) and Anne of Green Gables will always be associated with Prince Edward Island, Montgomery's childhood home and the setting of her most famous novels. Yet, after marrying Rev. Ewan Macdonald in 1911, she lived in Ontario for three decades. There she became a mother of two sons, fulfilled the duties of a minister's wife, advocated for copyright protection and recognition of Canadian literature, wrote prolifically, and reached a global readership that has never waned.

Engaging with discussions on both her life and her fiction, L.M. Montgomery's Rainbow Valleys explores the joys, sorrows, and literature that emerged from her transformative years in Ontario. While this time brought Montgomery much pleasure and acclaim, it was also challenged and complicated by a sense of displacement and the need to self-fashion and self-dramatize as she struggled to align her private self with her public persona. Written by scholars from various fields and including a contribution by Montgomery's granddaughter, this volume covers topics such as war, religion, women's lives, friendships, loss, and grief, focusing on a range of related themes to explore Montgomery's varied states of mind.

An in-depth study of one of Canada's most internationally acclaimed authors, L.M. Montgomery's Rainbow Valleys shows how she recreated herself as an Ontario writer and adapted to the rapidly changing world of the twentieth century.

Contributors include Elizabeth Waterston (Guelph), Mary Beth Cavert (Independent), Margaret Steffler (Trent), Laura M. Robinson (Royal Military College), Caroline E. Jones (Austin Community College), William V. Thompson (Grant MacEwan University), Melanie J. Fishbane (Humber College), Katherine Cameron (Concordia University College), Emily Woster (Minnesota-Duluth), Natalie Forest (York), E. Holly Pike (Memorial-Grenfell), Linda Rodenburg (Lakehead-Orillia), Kate Sutherland (York), Lesley D. Clement (Lakehead-Orillia), Kate Macdonald Butler (Heirs of L.M. Montgomery Inc.).

Reviews

“With its interest in placing Montgomery’s work in new cultural and historical contexts, L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys expands our understanding of this canonical Canadian author. Although there is no disputing that PEI had an enduring impact on Montgomery's literary sensibility, Ontario played its part too, as the essays in this collection abundantly reveal.” Janice Fiamengo, University of Ottawa

“Coherent and well-structured, L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys breaks new ground with its singular focus on the Ontario years. It will unquestionably command the attention of an academic audience, but is also accessible to the general reader who has an interest in Montgomery or in Canadian culture.” Joy Alexander, Queen’s University, Belfast

“L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys is important because it resists Montgomery’s own obsessive returns to Prince Edward Island, as well as those of her readers and critics. The collection remains grounded in her Ontario experience, demonstrating its influence on all the writing she did in the second half of her life.” The Times Literary Supplement

The book includes the following content and essays:

Introduction by Rita Bode and Lesley D. Clement

Prologue

1. Leaskdale: L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valley by Elizabeth Waterston

A New Home in Leaskdale: War and Religion

2. “To the Memory of”: Leaskdale and Loss in the Great War by Mary Beth Cavert
3. “Being a Christian” and a Presbyterian in Leaskdale by Margaret Steffler

The Changing World of Women: Mother, Daughter, Friend

4. “A Gift for Friendship”: Revolutionary Friendship in Anne of the Island and The Blue Castle by Laura M. Robinson
5. The New Mother at Home: Montgomery’s Literary Explorations of Motherhood by Caroline E. Jones

Shadows in Rainbow Valley: Loss and Grief

6. The Shadow on the House of Dreams: Montgomery’s Re-Visioning of Anne by William V. Thompson
7. “My Pen Shall Heal, Not Hurt”: Writing as Therapy in Rilla of Ingleside and The Blythes Are Quoted by Melanie J. Fishbane

Interlude

L.M.M. by Katherine Cameron

A Sense of Place: Reading and Writing

8. Old Years and Old Books: Montgomery’s Ontario Reading and Self-Fashioning by Emily Woster
9. (Re)Locating Montgomery: Prince Edward Island Romance to Southern Ontario Gothic by Natalie Forest

Travels to Muskoka: Commodification and Tourism

10. Propriety and the Proprietary: The Commodification of Health and Nature in The Blue Castle by E. Holly Pike
11. Bala and The Blue Castle: The “Spirit of Muskoka” and the Tourist Gaze by Linda Rodenburg

Life in Toronto: Professional and Cultural Links

12. Advocating for Authors and Battling Critics in Toronto: Montgomery and the Canadian Authors Association by Kate Sutherland
13. Toronto’s Cultural Scene: Tonic or Toxin for a Sagged Soul? by Lesley D. Clement

Epilogue

14. Dear Grandmother Maud on the Road to Heaven by Kate Macdonald Butler

Appendix

Montgomery’s Ontario Legacies: A Community Presence in the Twenty-First Century by Rita Bode and Lesley D. Clement with the assistance of Kristina Eldridge and Chloe Verner


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Book cover of L.M. Montgomery's Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years, 1911-1942 from McGill-Queen’s University Press.

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Created October 20, 2015. Last updated June 7, 2024.
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100 Years of Anne with an 'e': The Centennial Study of Anne of Green Gables

100 Years of Anne with an 'e': The Centennial Study of Anne of Green Gables edited by Holly Blackford is a scholarly book that was published by The University of Calgary Press in April 2009. This collection of essays examines the impact of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and the novel's themes and historical context. The volume includes an introduction by Holly Blackford and contributions by Joy Alexander, Hilary Emmett, Irene Gammel, Monika Hidler, Melissa Mullins, Eleanor Hersey Nickel, Sharyn Pearce, E. Holly Pike, Cornelia Rémi, Laura M. Robinson, Christiana R. Salah, and Theodore Sheckels.

Here is the description of the volume from The University of Calgary Press:

The centennial study of Anne of Green Gables, bringing together international, cross-disciplinary scholars to examine the lasting legacy and cultural impacts of the most famous girl from P.E.I.

“I cast ‘moral’ and ‘Sunday School’ ideals to the winds and made my ‘Anne’ a real human girl.” – L. M. Montgomery

Anne fans everywhere celebrated the 100th birthday of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables in 2008. Though Anne has always been recognized as a Canadian classic, her story is loved the world over.

In 100 Years of Anne with an “e”, Holly Blackford has brought together an international community of scholars who situate L. M. Montgomery’s novel in its original historical and literary context, discuss its timeless themes, and explore its aesthetic and cultural legacy across time and place.

Blackford’s collection certainly proves Anne’s international appeal, gathering contributors from Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, and the United States. Their essays explore diverse themes such as L.M. Montgomery’s career and writing practices, her influence on Canadian fiction, shifting views and definitions of childhood, domesticity, identity and place, and Anne on film.

This new look at the beloved red-headed orphan will appeal to any reader who just can’t get enough of Anne.

Reviews

"An invaluable aid to exploring some of the most important contextual and literary challenges and contributions of Montgomery’s novels."
—Jane Mattison, British Journal of Canadian Studies

"A useful contribution to the ever more crowded field of Montgomery Studies."
—Margaret Mackey, Children’s Literature Association Quarterly

The book includes the following contents:

Acknowledgements
Introduction, Anne with an "e": The Enduring Value of Anne of Green Gables by Holly Blackford

I. Writing and Placing Anne
1. Wildwood Roses and Sunshine Girls: The Making of Anne of Green Gables as a Popular Romance by Irene Gammel
2. L.M. Montgomery and Literary Professionalism by E. Holly Pike
3. Anne with two "G"s: Green Gables and Geographical Identity by Joy Alexander

II. Romancing Anne: Language and Silence
4. Negotiating the Well-Worn Coin: The Shifting Use of Language in L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables by Melissa Mullins
5. "Mute Misery": Speaking the Unspeakable in L.M. Montgomery's Anne Books by Hilary Emmett
6. "The World Hasn't Changed Very Much": Romantic Love in Film and Television Versions of Anne of Green Gables by Eleanor Hersey Nickel

III. Quoting Anne: Intertextuality at Home and Abroad
7. Anne and Her Ancestors: Self-Reflexivity from Yonge to Alcott to Montgomery by Laura M. Robinson
8. Anne of Green Gables as Intertext in Post-1960 Canadian Women's Fiction by Theodore Sheckels
9. Interactions with Poetry: Metapoetic Games with Anne in Astrid Lindgren's Madicken by Cornelia Rémi

IV. Maturing Anne: Gender and Empire
10. A Ministry of Plum Puffs: Cooking as a Path to Spiritual Maturity in L.M. Montgomery's Anne Books by Christiana R. Salah
11. The Ethos of Nurture: Revisiting Domesticity in L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables by Monika Hilder
12. Constructing a "New Girl": Gender and National Identity in Anne of Green Gables and Seven little Australians by Sharyn Pearce

Chronology of Important Events in the Life and Career of Anne's creator: Lucy Maud Montgomery

About the Contributors
Index

ISBN-13: 978-1552382523


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Book cover of 100 Years of Anne with an 'e': The Centennial Study of Anne of Green Gables from The University of Calgary Press.

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Created May 13, 2009. Last updated February 21, 2024.
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