Author Spotlight : Why you should read L.M. Montgomery

If you are looking for a new author to discover, let me introduce you to L.M. Montgomery, a Canadian author born in the 19^th century. Also known as Lucy Maud Montgomery, this amazing author wrote over 500 short stories and poems in her lifetime, as well as 20 novels. Including the Anne of Green Gables series, the Emily of New Moon series, and The Blue Castle.

Anne of Green Gables, her most famous novel, acts as an excellent entry point into her work. The story follows Anne, a red-headed orphan girl who is sent to live with an elderly brother and sister. She ends up changing their lives and the lives of many others for the better. The protagonist is a lively, imaginative character who manages to get into amusing predicaments and relishes the joys that life has to offer her. Beyond the compelling characters, this eight-book series gives an insight into provincial life in 19^th century Canada with its social conventions. These are actually surprisingly similar to today. Readers will find the age-old issues of friendships, romance, and gossip entwined in the threads of the book. Readers can delight and identify as she navigates from childhood through to adolescence and, in Anne’s House of Dreams, married life.

Montgomery has had a significant impact on culture

I have read all the books in the Anne of Green Gables series and in the semi-autobiographical Emily of New Moon series, as well as the two Story Girl books. Out of these books, in my opinion, her best book is Anne of Avonlea, the second installment in the Anne of Green Gables series. In this book, 16-year-old Anne is a teacher at the local school, trying to discipline troublesome students like Anthony Pye, and at home, she looks after 6-year-old twins Davy and Dora. This is my favourite book of the series because it builds off the first book and has a lot of funny moments, such as an incident with an escaped cow.

Montgomery has had a significant impact on culture – recently, her novel Anne of Green Gables was adapted into a popular Netflix show called ‘Anne with an E’. The show aptly captures Anne’s melodramatic nature – every episode seems to be full of emotional moments – and it keeps to the original story with the occasional addition, such as her bullied classmate Cole and a friend from the Mi’kmaq tribe called Ka’kwet. These additions give Anne an opportunity to show more of her kind and open-minded personality while also allowing for storylines around the themes of bullying and tribespeople. So, if you’d like to have a sneak preview of Anne’s adventures before committing to reading the novel, this Netflix show is an ideal place to start.

Her ability to create beautiful and realistic friendships, such as the friendship between Anne and Diana, shines through the book, making it a delight to read.

One of the most striking features of L.M. Montgomery’s writing is her dazzling descriptions of nature. The colours, sounds, and sights described have the effect of making you feel the same sense of wonder as the characters – a rare feat for an author to pull off successfully. Furthermore, her ability to create beautiful and realistic friendships, such as the friendship between Anne and Diana, shines through the book, making it a delight to read.

So, whether you like intriguing characters or mad mishaps, L.M. Montgomery has something to offer to enrich your reading experience.