"It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will."— L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
L.M. Montgomery
The writer of Green Gables
Lucy Maud Montgomery, she went by Maud her whole life, was born on Prince Edward Island, a tiny green island off the east coast of Canada. Her mother died when Maud was only 21 months old, and her dad moved across the country, leaving her with her strict grandparents.
Maud was a lonely kid. Her grandparents were old. There weren't many kids her age nearby. So she made up friends. She gave them names. She talked to trees and named the fields and lanes around her house.
Quick Facts
- Born: November 30, 1874
- From: Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Job: Teacher & writer
- Famous for: Anne of Green Gables and the whole Anne series
Anne was rejected by five publishers before one finally said yes. After that, it became one of the most translated children's books in history.
Her Famous Stories
Read Montgomery's stories on Worldly
Anne is one of the most loved characters in children's books. On Worldly, every page is adapted to your reading level.
★ On Worldly
1908An orphan named Anne is mistakenly sent to live with an elderly brother and sister who wanted a boy. She talks constantly, has bright red hair, and a knack for trouble. They fall in love with her anyway.
1909Anne is 16 now and teaching at the very school she used to attend. She's making changes, raising orphan twins, and still getting into scrapes.
1915Anne leaves the Island for the first time to study at college. New friends, old loves, and the question of who she'll become.
1923Emily Starr is an orphan girl with a passion for writing. Sent to live with strict aunts, she carves out her own creative life.
Her Life, Year by Year
From a lonely farmhouse to international fame
Maud spent most of her life on Prince Edward Island, and turned it into one of the most famous places in children's literature.
Born on the Island
Lucy Maud Montgomery is born in Clifton, on Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Her mother dies
Maud's mother dies of tuberculosis when Maud is only 21 months old. Her dad moves away. Maud is raised by her strict grandparents in Cavendish.
She publishes her first poem
At 16, Maud publishes a poem in a Charlottetown newspaper. She decides she wants to be a writer. She keeps a journal all her life.
She becomes a teacher
Maud goes to college briefly, then teaches in small Prince Edward Island schools. She gets up early to write before class. She publishes hundreds of short pieces in magazines.
She writes Anne
Back home caring for her grandmother, Maud writes a novel about an orphan girl named Anne Shirley who's accidentally sent to the wrong family. Five publishers reject it.
Anne of Green Gables is published
The sixth publisher says yes. Anne of Green Gables sells 19,000 copies in five months. Mark Twain reads it and calls Anne "the dearest and most lovable child in fiction since Alice in Wonderland."
Marriage and a move
Maud marries Reverend Ewan Macdonald and moves to Ontario, where he serves as a minister. She keeps writing, and keeps writing sequels about Anne.
A famous writer to the end
Maud dies in Toronto at age 67. She'd written 20 novels, 530 short stories, and 500 poems. Her Anne books had been translated into 36 languages and counting.
Why Anne Works
Three reasons readers love her
Anne Shirley is a 100-year-old character who still feels modern. Here's why.
Personality
She talks a LOT
Anne uses big words and dramatic phrases that she's read in books, even when they're a bit ridiculous. She's not embarrassed by it. She's just herself, full volume.
Big feelings
Everything is the BEST or the WORST
Anne gets ecstatic and devastated in the same afternoon. Modern readers recognize themselves. There's no pretending things aren't a big deal when they feel like one.
She changes
She grows up across the books
Anne starts as an 11-year-old orphan and grows up across eight books, becoming a teacher, then a wife, then a mother. We watch her become herself. That's rare in kids' books.
Wait… really?!
Six surprising things about Maud
Her real name was Lucy Maud
She hated being called Lucy. She went by Maud her whole life, and her books are published under her initials, L.M. Montgomery, because publishers thought a woman's name might hurt sales.
Anne was based on a real news story
Maud read a clipping about a Nova Scotia couple who'd asked an orphanage for a boy and were sent a girl by mistake. That was the seed of Anne of Green Gables.
Mark Twain loved Anne
Mark Twain wrote Maud a fan letter calling Anne 'the dearest and most lovable child in fiction since the immortal Alice.' That's a pretty huge compliment from a pretty huge writer.
She kept journals her whole life
Maud kept private journals for decades, eventually thousands of pages. They were published after her death and reveal a much sadder, more complicated person than her cheerful books suggest.
She wrote on a tray on her lap
Maud often wrote on a board across her knees in a corner of her grandmother's kitchen. No fancy office, just steady, daily work.
She wrote 20 novels and 500+ short stories
Maud was incredibly prolific. The Anne books are the most famous, but she also wrote about other girls, Emily of New Moon, Pat of Silver Bush, and hundreds of standalone stories.
Good questions, answered
L.M. Montgomery FAQ
What does L.M. stand for?+
Lucy Maud. She hated being called Lucy and went by Maud her whole life. Her books were published under the initials L.M. because publishers thought a woman's name might hurt sales, common in those days.
Is Prince Edward Island real?+
Yes! Prince Edward Island (PEI) is a real island off the east coast of Canada. Today, the Green Gables house, based on Maud's cousins' farm in Cavendish, is a national historic site that fans visit from all over the world.
Was Anne based on someone real?+
Not exactly. Anne came from a news clipping Maud read about an orphan girl being sent to the wrong family. But Maud's own lonely childhood, dramatic feelings, and love of words all went into Anne.
What age is Anne of Green Gables good for?+
Kids from ages 7 and up enjoy it. The Worldly version simplifies Victorian language while keeping Anne's voice intact, she's still dramatic, still talking a mile a minute, still completely herself.
How many Anne books are there?+
Eight novels follow Anne from age 11 through adulthood and into motherhood. There are also spinoff books about Anne's children and her friends. Maud kept returning to Anne her whole career.
Ready for an adventure?
Dive in with L.M. Montgomery
Start with Anne of Green Gables, adapted to fit your reading level. Free in the Worldly app.