Montgomery's
Anne of Green Gables is a memorable character who has appealed to many readers, especially young adults, since the novel's first publication in 1908. According to
Canadian Children's Literature contributor T. D. MacLulich, Mark Twain once called Anne "the dearest, and most lovable child in fiction since the immortal Alice." Canadian author Montgomery is best known for her popular "Anne" series, which follows the life of an orphan from adoption through marriage, family, and old age, beginning with
Anne of Green Gables. Montgomery also wrote many other novels, including several other series, poetry, and short stories, while her letters and journals have been separately collected and published posthumously. Montgomery had many titles in her life--including wife, mother, and teacher--but above all, she was a writer.
Montgomery's Life
Born on Prince Edward Island, Canada, Montgomery was raised on the Island by her maternal grandparents after the death of her mother when Montgomery was two years old. Christened Lucy Maud, she insisted on being called Maud as she grew up. Her grandparents, a pair of strict Presbyterians, raised Montgomery in their Cavendish farmhouse in a religious environment and isolated her from much social involvement with other children. "I had no companionship except that of books and solitary rambles in wood and fields," wrote Montgomery in one of her many journals, as quoted by Mollie Gillen in The Wheel of Things: A Biography of L.
