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Classic Authors: L.M. Montgomery

© Susan Jensen

Prince Edward Island, one of Canada's most famous sites, is a place that many people feel they know well. Why? Because they have delved into Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery's breathtaking first novel Anne of Green Gables. Although L.M. wrote more than twenty novels in her lifetime, as well as many short stories, Anne of Green Gables remains her masterpiece. Anne Shirley and her creator bare many similarities, although L.M. would never find the contentment she gave to her most favorite character.

Like Anne Shirley, L.M. Montgomery became an orphan at a young age; her mother died when she was only two years old. L.M.'s father, a local merchant, sent her to live with her maternal grandparents. Her guardians were strict, staunchly religious, and even emotionally abusive. To escape the harsh reality of her life, L.M. created a world of make believe in which to shroud herself. She lost herself in a magical land of fairies and princesses. Books also gave her solace, especially Dickens, one of her favorites.

L.M. attended Prince of Wales College (Charlottesville, Prince Edward Island), where she earned her teacher's certificate in 1894. She began teaching in Bideford, Prince Edward Island, in the same year. Although L.M. knew she wanted to become a writer, she also knew that she needed a position that would earn her a steady income. Thus, she went back to school, this time to Dalhousie College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. There she completed her second-class teaching certificate, and earned her first-class teaching license in 1895. Afterward, she worked as a teacher and as a staff member on the Halifax Daily Echo.

Anne of Green Gables emerged in 1908, becoming an instant success. Readers fell in love with the outspoken, imaginative Anne Shirley. Although six more Anne books would follow, none became as popular as the first. In fact, the sequels were often criticized for not maintaining the spark that ignited Anne of Green Gables. Today, the book has been translated into 15 different languages, and brought to life on screen.

Three years after the publication of her first novel, L.M. Montgomery married Reverend Ewen MacDonald. Ewen was not her first suitor; in fact, she had encountered love several times before. However, she soon became quite taken with the reverend. Not long after becoming his wife, L.M. realized that she and Ewen were not a well-suited couple. He resented her writing, and bored her with his endless theological banter. She suffered from loneliness and unhappiness.

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