Twice upon a Time: Selected Stories, 1898-1939 by L.M. Montgomery and edited by Benjamin Lefebvre was published by University of Toronto Press in June 2022. A part of "The L.M. Montgomery Library," this book reprints a collection of 25 of L.M. Montgomery's short stories and provides a discussion of each story and Montgomery's writing process.
Here is the description of the volume from
University of Toronto Press:
Although L.M. Montgomery (1874–1942) is best remembered for the twenty-two book-length works of fiction that she published in her lifetime, from Anne of Green Gables (1908) to Anne of Ingleside (1939), she also contributed some five hundred short stories and serials to a wide range of North American and British periodicals from 1895 to 1940. While most of these stories demonstrate her ability to produce material that would fit the mainstream periodical fiction market as it evolved across almost half a century, many of them also contain early incarnations of characters, storylines, conversations, and settings that she would rework for inclusion in her novels and collections of linked short stories.
In Twice upon a Time, the third volume in The L.M. Montgomery Library, Benjamin Lefebvre collects and discusses over two dozen stories from across Montgomery’s career as a short fiction writer, many of them available in book form for the first time. The volume offers a rare glimpse into Montgomery’s creative process in adapting her periodical work for her books, which continue to fascinate readers all over the world.
This collection of short stories by L.M. Montgomery reveals the early workings of parts of Anne of Green Gables, its sequels, and her other ever-popular novels.
Reviews
"Twice upon a Time reveals Benjamin Lefebvre’s sleuthing and editing at its best. For scholars and fans alike, this collection of short stories offers a new way of re-experiencing Montgomery’s fiction through the lens of works that often serve dually as prequels and apprenticeship pieces for longer fiction. These stories, alongside Lefebvre’s expert contextualization, help illuminate Montgomery’s methodology and will be a boon for scholars. Twice upon a Time is a treasure trove for all those who appreciate L.M. Montgomery’s genius as a social satirist."
—Irene Gammel, author of Looking for Anne of Green Gables
"It is no small feat to choose two dozen stories from among the several hundred of Montgomery’s publications in the short story genre. Benjamin Lefebvre’s selections in Twice Upon a Time, along with his notes and critical afterword, are informed by an astute editorial vision that is sure to inspire further productive research into Montgomery’s creative methods."
—Rita Bode, Department of English, Trent University
The book includes the following contents:
A Note on the Author
Abbreviations
Preface
A Note on the Text
Our Uncle Wheeler
A New-Fashioned Flavoring
Miss Marietta’s Jersey
The Old Chest at Wyther Grange
Aunt Ethelinda’s Monument
Aunt Susanna’s Birthday Celebration
The Hurrying of Ludovic
The Little Fellow’s Photograph
The Old South Orchard
The Life-Book of Uncle Jesse
A Garden of Old Delights
A Pioneer Wooing
A Chip of the Old Block
The Indecision of Margaret
Aunt Philippa and the Men
By the Grace of Sarah May
Abel and His Great Adventure
The Schoolmaster’s Bride
Our Neighbors at the Tansy Patch
The Matchmaker
Tomorrow Comes
I Know a Secret
Retribution
An Afternoon with Mr. Jenkins
Appendix: Dog Monday’s Vigil
Afterword
Notes
Bibliography
ISBN: 9781487544157
Image credit:
Book cover of
Twice upon a Time: Selected Stories, 1898-1939.
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Created June 30, 2022. Last
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