L.M. Montgomery Research Group

By Mary Henley Rubio

Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2008

Synopsis

The writings of Lucy Maud Montgomery are so familiar and captivating that it is easy to feel we know her. But the complex woman behind the classic story Anne of Green Gables experienced the dark side of life as well as the intense joy of creativity. In this revelatory biography of one of Canada’s most internationally celebrated writers, Mary Henley Rubio looks far beyond Montgomery’s own published journals and draws on years of primary research and interviews, as well as a wealth of previously undiscovered material. The result is an account of a fascinating life that is certain to surprise.

She was born in 1874 in the same lush countryside of Prince Edward Island that her novels have made so famous, but Montgomery’s home life could never measure up to the idyllic nature of her surroundings. Raised by her grandparents following her mother’s early death, Montgomery craved affection and indulgence that proved elusive. A gifted student, she found that her ardent creativity and ambition clashed with expectations placed upon women in the nineteenth century. Her professional accomplishments were exceptional, and on the surface her family life seemed picture-perfect, yet Montgomery endured intense hardships, including legal fights with her publisher, shattering experiences with motherhood and as wife to a deeply troubled man, and the anguish of her own mental instability.

This comprehensive and penetrating account of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s life, all set in rich social context, and featuring previously unseen photographs, is sure to take its place as the definitive biography of this literary icon.

Contents

Introduction (1-11)

The PEI Years 1874-1911 (13-157)

The Leaskdale Years 1911-1926 (159-338)

The Norval Years 1926-1935 (341-446)

The Toronto Years 1935-1942 (449-580)

Epilogue (583-597)

Acknowledgements (598-602)

Endnotes (603-641)

Select Bibliography (642-661)

Index (662-684)

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