The Anne of Green Gables Manuscript Digital Exhibition

Today, a digital exhibition launched called "The Anne of Green Gables Manuscript: L.M. Montgomery and the Creation of Anne" that features a digitized version of L.M. Montgomery's original handwritten manuscript for Anne of Green Gables. Fans of Anne of Green Gables can explore the text to see L.M. Montgomery's writing process and analyze how she developed the story.

Check out the exhibit at: annemanuscript.ca

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Here's the press release for the exhibit by the Confederation Centre of the Arts:

January 19, 2023 – For the first time ever, L.M. Montgomery’s original manuscript of Anne of Green Gables is available to readers everywhere through a new digital exhibition.

The Anne of Green Gables Manuscript: L.M. Montgomery and the Creation of Anne officially launched online today. The digital exhibition will allow people to explore Montgomery’s original text, see what was written on the back of pages, and find out how famous moments were developed or revised. The interactive website includes never-before-seen material, such as Montgomery’s publishing contract for the novel.

“Visitors can pore over every pen stroke – there are bits of short story drafts and heavily scratched out passages that just beg for one to zoom in. We have also added hundreds of photo and video annotations to learn from,” says Dr. Emily Woster, an L.M. Montgomery scholar who curated the exhibition. “This is a celebration of Montgomery’s creative process, and we invite scholars and fans alike to explore the site and trace the origins of Anne.”

The high-quality digitization of the manuscript gives visitors a unique opportunity to learn about the author and Prince Edward Island, and reflect on Anne’s legacy in print, on screen, and on stage – including the nearly 60-year history of Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™ at The Charlottetown Festival.

The digital exhibition is presented by Confederation Centre of the Arts, the University of Prince Edward Island’s Robertson Library and L.M. Montgomery Institute, and developed with funding from the Digital Museums Canada investment program. The Digital Museums Canada investment program helps build digital capacity in Canadian museums and heritage organizations and gives Canadians unique access to diverse stories and experiences. Digital Museums Canada is managed by the Canadian Museum of History, with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

The history of the novel dates back to the summer of 1905, when Montgomery began writing Anne’s story in the kitchen of her home in Cavendish. The classic novel is beloved the world over, inspiring millions of readers in over 40 languages. The original manuscript resides in the archives at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown, and only a lucky few have been able to see it or study it in person.

“This important project will vastly increase access to the manuscript, generating new understanding and appreciation of the novel’s beginnings and of its author,” says L.M. Montgomery Institute chair Dr. Philip Smith. “The digitization by the expert staff at UPEI’s Robertson Library will allow enthusiasts around the world to discover Montgomery’s creativity in interactive ways not previously available.”

The digital exhibition is available in English and French and can be viewed online at annemanuscript.ca.

Created January 19, 2023.
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L.M. Montgomery by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Little People, BIG DREAMS Book 22)

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling children’s book series that highlights the lives of outstanding people, including writers, singers, scientists, artists, designers, and adventurers. Each biography tells the story of how the person started out as a child with a big dream.

The 22nd book in the biography series is titled L.M. Montgomery. The story of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s life was written by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. Anuska Allepuz illustrated the story. This 32-page hardback book was first published on October 4, 2018.

Here is a peak into the book:


The publisher’s description states:

Meet Lucy Maud Montgomery, the famous Canadian author of Anne of Green Gables.

Born in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, Lucy Maud Montgomery lost her mother when she was very young. Left in the care of less-than-encouraging grandparents, she found comfort in reading, writing, and her imagination. When Maud grew up, she wrote about the childhood she wished she had, creating one of the best-loved characters of all time: Anne of Green Gables. This moving book features stylish illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the author's life.

At the Little People, BIG DREAMS website, you can download a fun activity page and print out bookmarks featuring L.M. Montgomery and other famous authors, including Jane Austen, Maya Angelou, Simone de Beauvoir Anne Frank, and Agatha Christie.

The whole series looks wonderful for children to teach them about remarkable people and inspire them to "Be Bold Be Brave and DREAM BIG."

Purchase the Little People, BIG DREAMS book on L.M. Montgomery and a matching game featuring Montgomery and other outstanding women:



Created June 12, 2022.
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Little People, BIG DREAMS Matching Game Featuring L.M. Montgomery

Check out this fun matching game for children featuring L.M. Montgomery. It’s based on the popular Little People, BIG DREAMS book series, which explores the lives of outstanding people, including scientists, writers, designers, artists, activists, and adventurers. Each of these people began their life as a child with a big dream.

The memory game features the following 20 outstanding women: Maya Angelou, Jane Austen, Josephine Baker, Coco Chanel, Agatha Christie, Marie Curie, Simone de Beauvoir, Amelia Earhart, Ella Fitzgerald, Anne Frank, Jane Goodall, Audrey Hepburn, Frida Kahlo, Ada Lovelace, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Georgia O’Keefe, Emmeline Pankhurst, Rosa Parks, Mother Theresa, and Harriet Tubman. The picture of L.M. Montgomery is by the illustrator Anuska Allepuz.

The game includes 20 pairs of cards and an educational biography card with information on each woman’s life and accomplishments. The matching game is recommended for children 3–12 years old. It would be a great gift to teach and inspire a child while having fun.

Purchase the Little People, BIG DREAMS matching game and book on L.M. Montgomery:



Created June 9, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Bibliography of L.M. Montgomery

L.M. Montgomery was a Canadian author who wrote works that have been read by millions the world over. She was a prolific writer throughout her lifetime, penning over 20 books, including fictional novels, a volume of poetry, and short story collections. She also wrote a book of essays with collaborating authors. L.M. Montgomery achieved her greatest popular success in creating the character Anne Shirley of the Anne of Green Gables series.

L.M. Montgomery's bibliography of works published during her lifetime is listed below:

L.M. Montgomery's Publications	Date
Anne of Green Gables	1908
Anne of Avonlea	1909
Kilmeny of the Orchard	1910
The Story Girl	1911
Chronicles of Avonlea	1912
The Golden Road	1913
Anne of the Island	1915
The Watchman and Other Poems	1916
Anne's House of Dreams	1917
Rainbow Valley	1919
Further Chronicles of Avonlea	1920
Rilla of Ingleside	1921
Emily of New Moon	1923
Emily Climbs	1925
The Blue Castle	1926
Emily's Quest	1927
Magic for Marigold	1929
A Tangled Web	1931
Pat of Silver Bush	1933
Courageous Women    (Essays written with Marian Keith and Mabel Burns McKinley)	1934
Mistress Pat	1935
Anne of Windy Poplars	1936
Jane of Lantern Hill	1937
Anne of Ingleside	1939

Created September 1, 1999. Re-posted online January 7, 2022. Last updated January 7, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com

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.

Purchase and read L.M. Montgomery's journals to learn more about her life:



Created November 30, 2021.
© worldofanneshirley.com

L.M. Montgomery's Poetry

L.M. Montgomery is better known for her novels than her poetry though she published approximately 500 poems during her lifetime. In 1916, Montgomery published a volume of poetry entitled The Watchman and Other Poems. The majority of L.M. Montgomery's poems are devoted to nature, particularly the landscape of Prince Edward Island, and rural life on the sea shore. Montgomery's love of poetry is reflected in many of her novels where characters quote poetry or recite poems and ballads. Just one example is Anne Shirley reciting and reenacting Alfred Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" in Anne of Green Gables.

Purchase and read The Watchman and Other Poems and The Poetry Of Lucy Maud Montgomery:



Created February 16, 2002. Re-posted online March 25, 2021. Last updated March 25, 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.

Purchase and read L.M. Montgomery's journals to learn more about her life:

Created February 10, 2002. Re-posted online March 24, 2021. Last updated March 24, 2021.
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Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island (PEI) is a province located in the Gulf of St Lawrence in Eastern Canada. The island's scenery is beautiful with a striking contrast between the red roads and cliffs, deep blue water, and rich green landscape. In 1874, L.M. Montgomery was born in Clifton, PEI, and she used the island as the geographical location for many of her stories. Today, PEI is recognized around the world as the setting of L.M. Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables (1908).

Learn more about Prince Edward Island:



Created March 13, 2021.
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Google Doodle Celebrates Lucy Maud Montgomery on her 141st Birthday

Today's Google Doodle celebrates L.M. Montgomery's 141st birthday with three animated doodles by Olivia When featuring scenes from Montgomery's beloved story Anne of Green Gables.

In one Google Doodle, Anne Shirley and Diana Barry are laying in a field of field of flowers. Anne is writing, while Diana is reading. The pair are wearing flower crowns in their hair.

In a second Google Doodle, Anne Shirley turns green when she tastes the layered cake she prepared for Mrs. Allen's visit to the Cuthbert home. Anne accidentally flavored her cake with anodyne liniment, thinking it was vanilla. Marilla had poured her liniment into an old vanilla bottle and hadn't relabeled the bottle.



A third Google Doodle pictures show scenes on the Lake of Shining Waters, with Anne walking to school, Anne and Diana running together, and Gilbert Blythe saving Anne after she played Elaine, in the chapter titled, "An Unfortunate Lily Maid."



Google posted the following info about the L.M. Montgomery Google Doodles:

Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote her first novel in 1905. It was rejected by every single publishing house that received it. A few years later, Montgomery tried shopping it again and succeeded. Her story about the adventures of a red-headed girl in Prince Edward Island became a smash hit. That novel ultimately became one of Canada’s most all-time popular books, being translated into around 20 languages and selling more than 50 million copies to date. Anne of Green Gables and its many sequels made Montgomery a wildly successful author and turned PEI into a destination for the book’s thousands of fans.

One of Canada’s most celebrated writers, Montgomery also wrote hundreds of poems and short stories as well as a number of novels apart from the Anne series. She was the first Canadian woman to be made a member of the British Royal Society of Arts and was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Today, on what would have been her 141st birthday, we salute Lucy Maud Montgomery with a Doodle that pays tribute to her most iconic book.

Doodler Olivia When, herself an Anne of Green Gables fan, wanted to honor Montgomery by illustrating several scenes from the beloved novel, including a particularly memorable one in which Anne mistakenly bakes a cake with liniment (a medicated oil) instead of vanilla. Here’s to Anne with an “e” Shirley and her revered creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Created November 30, 2015. Re-posted online September 4, 2023. Last updated September 4, 2023.
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100th Anniversary Anne of Green Gables Stamps

On June 20, 2008, Canada Post and Japan Post jointly released special Anne of Green Gables stamps on the 100th anniversary of the publication of L.M. Montgomery's novel. The dreamy portrait of Anne Shirley is by Ben Stahl, and the painting of the iconic Green Gables house is by Christopher Kovacs. The sweet animated drawings of Anne Shirley, Matthew Cuthbert, Diana Barry, Gilbert Blythe, and Marilla Cuthbert are from the anime series Anne of Green Gables (1979) aka Akage no An by Nippon Animation, which was part of the World Masterpiece Theater series.

Canada Post also issued a souvenir sheet with a set of two 52¢ Anne of Green Gables stamps to commemorate the occasion with artwork by Ben Stahl and Christopher Kovacs.



The following wonderful article was published by Canada Post upon the release of the stamps with biographical information on L.M. Montgomery, a description of her beloved Prince Edward Island, and details on the artwork, digital illustration, and stamp design:

Issued: June 20, 2008

Article published in

Canada's Stamp Details (Vol. XVII No 2; April to June 2008)

It's hard to believe that the irrepressible Anne Shirley might have lain hidden in a hat box forever. When Lucy Maud Montgomery completed her first novel in 1905, she received several rejections from publishers, so she put the story away. But Anne, with characteristic persistence, must have tugged at her imagination. A few years later, Montgomery retrieved the novel and sent it out again. Anne of Green Gables was finally published in Boston in 1908, to immediate success.

One hundred years later, Anne and her story are featured on a pair of domestic rate (52¢) stamps issued by Canada Post to celebrate the novel's centennial. The stamp images are based on original artwork officially authorized by The heirs of Lucy Maud Montgomery and the Anne of Green Gables Licensing Authority Inc. The painting of Anne was created by Ben Stahl, and that of her beloved Green Gables house by Christopher Kovacs.

"Anne is such a unique character, so full of life and so inspired by nature," says designer Dennis Page. "These paintings represent her story well-the images are surrounded by nature, and Anne appears lost in her thoughts."

Anne's name, he notes, is printed on the stamps in a typeface as personal and expressive as she is. Page also worked with digital illustrator Mike Little on a unique frame for the two images, which serves as a subtle reminder that Anne's famous story is actually a work of fiction. "The stamp frames are meant to resemble the pages of a book printed in 1908, with deckle edges and an original look and feel."

Even Montgomery said she never felt quite truthful admitting that this vibrant red-headed girl was indeed a fictional character. Although Anne of Green Gables was her first novel, Montgomery had been writing poems and stories since childhood, inspired by her life on Prince Edward Island. Born in 1874, she was not even two when her mother died of tuberculosis and she was sent to live with her grandparents in Cavendish, a town later made famous as Avonlea. She grew up immersed in nature and Anne's scenic descriptions of Avonlea are drawn from Montgomery's own experiences of living in Cavendish where she was enchanted by the orchards, woods and beaches. Montgomery once wrote, "Everything was invested with a kind of fairy grace and charm, emanating from my own fancy, the trees that whispered nightly around the old house where I slept, the woodsy nooks I explored, the homestead fields, each individualized by some oddity or fence or shape, the sea whose murmur was never out of my ears - all were radiant with 'the glory and the dream'...amid all the commonplaces of life, I was very near to a kingdom of ideal beauty."¹ Montgomery continued writing while training and working briefly as a teacher, and was earning a comfortable income from her published work even before the success of Anne of Green Gables. Eventually she married and moved to Ontario, but her heart and imagination stayed on the Island.

The house known as Green Gables is now a national historic site, with an operational period-style post office. Montgomery never actually lived there, but it was home to relatives, and she often explored the surrounding property. The setting clearly inspired her-the landscape near Cavendish is as vivid a character in her books as any other. To recognize this special place as uniquely Canadian, the souvenir sheet bears a maple leaf die perforation between the two stamps.

The Cavendish connection is featured on a souvenir sheet official first day cover (OFDC), and on two additional OFDCs, each bearing double cancels-one real (Cavendish PE) and one fictional (Avonlea PE).

Anne has captured the imaginations of girls around the world and her story has a special history for many Japanese. Anne first arrived in Japan in the 1930s with Canadian missionary Loretta Shaw. When Shaw left the country at the start of the Second World War, she gave a copy of the novel to her friend Hanako Muraoka, who translated it as Akage no An, literally "Anne of the Red Hair". After the war ended, Japanese education officials were eager to introduce children to Western texts, and Muraoka suggested the novel. In 1952, it was included in the school curriculum, and it has been well loved by generations of students ever since. Today, thousands of Japanese travel to Cavendish each year to visit Anne's fictional home.

Despite its distinctly Canadian setting, Anne of Green Gables belongs to the world. The story has captured the imaginations of readers in many languages and countries. "In Japan, readers have formed a fan club called the 'Buttercups,' named for Anne's favourite flower," says Joy Parks, Research Officer, Stamp Services, at Canada Post. Buttercups appear on the floral envelope seals included with the stamp booklet, part of a collection of flowers reproduced from the paintings depicted on the stamps. Like the wildflowers that return to bloom each spring, Anne lives on in the imagination of her readers, as real today as when she was first published.

Additional information is available on the following websites:
www.gov.pe.ca/lmm
www.lmmontgomery.ca

¹ Stan Sauerwein, Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Incredible Life of the Creator of Anne of Green Gables (Canmore, Alberta: Altitude Publishing Canada Ltd.) 2004, p. 22-23.

Created June 30, 2008. Re-posted online November 18, 2022. Last Updated January 20, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Penguin Group (Canada) to Become the Official Book Publisher of L.M. Montgomery 100th Anniversary Editions

Penguin Group (Canada) to become the official book publisher of L.M. Montgomery 100th Anniversary Editions

Press Release

TORONTO - Penguin Group (Canada) announced yesterday it will undertake a major Canadian and international publishing program in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Anne of Green Gables, including publication of an official prequel, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the book's original publication in 1908.

To further celebrate this significant anniversary, Penguin will publish a special collectible 100th anniversary edition of Anne of Green Gables, featuring the original cover art of M.A. Claus and W.A.J. Claus.

A third project, Imagining Anne: The Scrapbooks of L.M. Montgomery will bring to life Montgomery's own thoughts and interests using selected pages from her own scrapbooks from the years 1893 to 1908, covering her time as a college student, teacher and writer, and the years in which she created the character of Anne Shirley, leading to the publication of Anne of Green Gables in 1908.

The significance of the souvenirs and clippings Montgomery collected will be explained by Elizabeth Epperly, Ph.D., professor of English at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) and the founder of the L.M. Montgomery Institute at UPEI.

Imagining Anne will be a full-colour giftbook, releasing in March 2008.

Penguin holds world rights in all languages to both the prequel and the scrapbook.

The prequel, Before Green Gables, which tells the story of Anne's early life in foster homes and an orphanage in Nova Scotia, will be written by Governor General's Literary Award finalist Budge Wilson.

Budge Wilson has published twenty-nine books in more than 10 countries and her stories have been included in over 90 anthologies, including the first Journey Prize Anthology.

Her many awards include nineteen Canadian Children's Book Centre "Our Choice" awards, the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Award, the Marianna Dempster Award, the Ann Connor Brimer Award, the Lilla Stirling Award and the City of Dartmouth Book Award.

Her latest book, Friendships, is a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award.

Wilson offered the following comments: "When Penguin asked me to write this prequel, I was faced with an enormous challenge."

"But it was this challenge that made me want to write the book," Wilson said.

"Given the appalling deprivation and emotional starvation of Anne's years in the Thomas and Hammond households and during her four agonized months in the orphanage, one is mystified as to how she became the person she was when she made her first journey to Green Gables with Matthew Cuthbert," she said.

"How could she have become so vibrant a person, so talkative, so articulate, so optimistic, so full of extravagant dreams?"

"This was the enticing puzzle that drew me into the project."

Wilson will spend several chapters getting to know Anne's parents and will bring other people into the story who will introduce Anne to the magic of words and literature, the possibilities for solace and joy in an active imagination, and the experience of giving and receiving love.

"I will, of course, try to be true to the astonishing character that Lucy Maud Montgomery created," said Wilson.

"For this, I am grateful to her."

"But I would not - in fact, could not - presume to tell my part of Anne's history in Montgomery's voice."

"I will do this in my own voice, hoping that she would approve of the project if she were alive today." Penguin is delighted to have the full support of the heirs of L.M. Montgomery and will work in co-operation with the family to create an exciting national marketing plan to make 2008 especially memorable as the year of Anne and of L.M. Montgomery.

L. M. Montgomery's grandson David Macdonald, speaking for the family, said, "We are delighted that Penguin have undertaken to publish a prequel to Anne of Green Gables for 2008 and have selected respected author Budge Wilson to write Before Green Gables.

"We think she is a terrific choice," Macdonald said.

He continued, "It's an added bonus that Budge Wilson like Anne, comes from Nova Scotia."

"I think my grandmother would have thought it appropriate for an author who grew up in Nova Scotia to write about Anne's life before she came to Prince Edward Island and Green Gables."

Commissioning editor Helen Reeves commented on the tremendous opportunity presented by the 100th anniversary, saying, "The character of Anne Shirley continues to be loved around the world."

"Growing up in the UK, I read all the Anne books and it's tremendously exciting to see a different part of Anne's story brought to life by one of Canada's most celebrated contemporary writers," Reeves said.

"We look forward to 2008 with great anticipation," she said.

Founded in 1974 as a distribution company for Penguin books from all over the world, Penguin Group (Canada) began publishing Canadian and international titles in 1977, and quickly became known as one of Canada's pre-eminent publishers of literary, thought-provoking fiction, and non-fiction.

Penguin is internationally recognized as the world's predominant publisher of classic literature; in Canada publishing both modern classics and black classics, including works by Susanna Moodie, Stephen Leacock and L.M. Montgomery.

Created October 26, 2006, Re-posted online January 30, 2024. Last updated January 30, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Biography of L.M. Montgomery

Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery was born in Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Canada on November 30, 1874. During her lifetime, she wrote 22 novels and short story collections, a volume of poetry, a book on courageous women (with Marian Keith and M.B. McKinley), an autobiography, a life's worth of journals (of 5,000 pages), 450 poems, and over 500 short stories. Of these literary contributions, she is best known for giving Canadians (and the world) a beloved literary heroine named Anne of Green Gables, an imaginative, short-tempered, loving, red-headed orphan in search of a home.

L.M. Montgomery's mother died in her early youth when she was just 21 months old, and her father left her in the care of her stern maternal grandparents. Montgomery's refuge from loneliness was in her imagination, much like many of the heroines she would later create. She was a storyteller from her early youth. In her autobiography, The Alpine Path, Montgomery writes:

"I cannot remember the time when I was not writing, or when I did not mean to be an author. To write has always been my central purpose around which every effort and hope and ambition of my life has grouped itself."

In 1889, L.M. Montgomery lived for a short time with her father in Alberta, Canada. During her stay there, Montgomery published her first poem in a local newspaper at the age of 15. Montgomery soon returned to Prince Edward Island to finish her schooling. After completing college, she worked briefly as a journalist, and then she began to teach. In spite of having a tumultuous love life during this period, Montgomery's writing never quelled. She published many short stories and poems during this time.

After her grandfather's death in 1898, L.M. Montgomery returned home to live with her grandmother. In 1902, she began a lifelong correspondence with Ephraim Weber, a man with literary ambitions. In 1903, she began writing to a second pen-pal, George Boyd Macmillan of Scotland.

In 1906, L.M. Montgomery became engaged to Ewen MacDonald, who was studying to be a minister. Montgomery was unable to leave her grandmother, so their engagement was extended until her grandmother's death in 1911. During this period, Montgomery began work on Anne of Green Gables, which was published in 1908 to popular acclaim. A sequel was demanded immediately, and Montgomery wrote Anne of Avonlea.

In 1909, L.M. Montgomery began work on what she considered her favorite book, The Story Girl. It was published in 1911. That same year, Montgomery and MacDonald finally married. The couple honeymooned in England and Scotland, and when they returned to Canada, it was not to P.E.I., but to Leaskdale, Ontario. Ewen had accepted a position there as a minister. Although Montgomery now had new responsibilities as a minister's wife, she was determined to continue her writing.

L.M. Montgomery was strained by World War I and an increasingly bad relationship with her first publisher, which resulted in a lengthy legal battle. Both she and her husband faced depression. In spite of all this, Montgomery continued her daily writing, producing further stories on Anne as well as many others, including the Emily and Pat series and The Blue Castle. By the late 1930s, Montgomery's personal troubles, illness, and depression overwhelmed her. Even her journal writing failed to console her, and the advent of World War II was a further blow to her depressed spirits. She died on April 24, 1942, after months of not writing to her pen-friends or in her journals. L.M. Montgomery was buried in Cavendish, P.E.I.

During her lifetime, L.M. Montgomery received a number of international awards for her writing. She was honored as a Fellow of the British Royal Society of Arts (1923), a Companion of the Order of the British Empire, and a member of the Literary and Artistic Institute of France (1935). Today, Montgomery's legacy lives on in the expanding critical re-evaluations of her works, in the translations of her books to scores of languages, in the adaptations of her stories for film, television, and stage, and in the sustained appeal of her stories worldwide.


References for Biography:

Montgomery, L.M. The Alpine Path: The Story of My Career. Markham: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1997.
Parry, Caroline. "L. M. Montgomery: A Biography." in Anne of the Island. Montgomery, L. M. New York: Bantam Books, 1998.
Waterston, Elizabeth. "Lucy Maud Montgomery: 1874–1942." L. M. Montgomery: An Assessment. Ed. John Robert Sorfleet. Guelph: Canadian Children's Press, 1976. 9–28.

Image Credit:
Photograph of L.M. Montgomery from the cover of her autobiography The Alpine Path republished by Fitzhenry & Whiteside in 1997.

Created July 16, 1999. Re-posted online April 18, 2024. Last updated April 18, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com