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Lucy Maud Montgomery: A Prolific Writer Whose Works Are Still Loved Today

International bestselling author of Anne of Green Gables

By Carla PatonPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 3 min read
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Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

If you’ve ever read a book by L. M. Montgomery, then you know that her writing is timeless. Montgomery was born in 1874 and died in 1942, but her works are still enjoyed by people all over the world. She is best known for her novel Anne of Green Gables, (affilate link) which has been adapted for stage and screen many times. Montgomery’s life was full of tragedy and heartbreak, but she managed to find joy in her writing. Her stories are charming and heartfelt, and they continue to inspire readers today.

Montgomery was born in Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Her father, Hugh John Montgomery, was a sea captain who died when she was just two years old. Her mother, Clara Woolner Macneill Montgomery, struggled to support her family after Hugh’s death. L. M. Montgomery was the eldest of five children and grew up in a very strict household. She had a difficult relationship with her mother, which is evident in some of her writing.

Despite the challenges she faced in her early life, L. M. Montgomery went on to have a successful career as a writer. In addition to Anne of Green Gables, she wrote several other novels and short stories that are still beloved readers today. She also worked as a journalist and editor and was the founder of the L. M. Montgomery Institute.

L. M. Montgomery married Ewan Macdonald in 1911 and they had three children together: Chester, Hugh, and Stuart. Hugh died at birth. Montgomery was a very private person and she didn’t share much about her personal life with her readers.

Ewan Macdonald was a Presbyterian minister, and L. M. Montgomery met him when she was working as a journalist in Halifax. L. M. Montgomery was a devoted mother to her three children from all reports.

In 1935, Montgomery was honored by being the first female in Canada to be named a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and was invested OBE, an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

L. M. Montgomery passed away in 1942, but her legacy lives on. Anne of Green Gables is now considered a Canadian classic, and her other novels are still widely read all over the world. Her writing is charming and heartfelt, and it speaks to the universal human experience. She has inspired countless readers over the years, and she will continue to be appreciated for many years to come.

L. M. Montgomery’s novels include:

Anne of Green Gables series

  • Anne of Green Gables (1908)
  • Anne of Avonlea (1909)
  • Anne of the Island (1915)
  • Anne of Windy Poplars (1936)
  • Anne’s House of Dreams (1917)
  • Anne of Ingleside (1939)
  • Rainbow Valley (1919)
  • Rilla of Ingleside (1921)
  • The Blythes Are Quoted (2009) — was submitted to the publisher the day of her death but not published in its entirety until sixty-seven years later.
  • Twice Upon a Time: Selected Stories, 1898–1939 (The L. M. Montgomery Library, edited by Benjamin Lefebvre, 2022)

Emily trilogy

  • Emily of New Moon (1923)
  • Emily Climbs (1925)
  • Emily’s Quest (1927)
  • Pat of Silver Bush

    • Pat of Silver Bush (1933)
    • Mistress Pat (1935)

    The Story Girl

    • The Story Girl (1911)
    • The Golden Road (1913)

    Stand-alone novels

    • Kilmeny of the Orchard (1910)
    • The Blue Castle (1926)
    • Magic for Marigold (1929)
    • A Tangled Web (1931)
    • Jane of Lantern Hill (1937)

    Montgomery also wrote about 500 short stories, which were published in magazines and newspapers. Many of her works have been adapted for stage and screen, including Anne of Green Gables, which has been made into several movies and television shows. Montgomery’s writing is timeless and her stories continue to inspire readers all over the world.

    Some biographies about L. M. Montgomery include:

    Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings (2010) by Mary Henley Rubio

    Looking for Anne of Green Gables: The Story of L. M. Montgomery and Her Literary Classic (2009) by Irene Gammel

    Anne’s World: A New Century of Anne of Green Gables (2010) by Irene Gammel and Benjamin Lefebvre

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    literature
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    About the Creator

    Carla Paton

    Writer, Poet, Rancher, Ph.D. ABD, MA, MASCIS

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