L.M. MONTGOMERY
PEI's famous author of Anne of Green GablesLucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, was born in Prince Edward Island in 1874. She began to write at a young age, and she supported herself by writing many novels, poems, short stories, and journals. Her most famous work was the creation of Anne, the fun-loving redheaded orphan loved by all. The story of Anne has been made into plays, movies, and a television series.
After her mother's death, Lucy Maud was sent to live with her stern grandparents. Her writing was an escape from loneliness. She was a natural story teller and her first work was published when she was just 15. After completing college she supported herself by working as a journalist, freelance writer, and teacher.
Her most famous book, Anne of Green Gables, was rejected five times before it was finally published in 1908. The book was a huge success, and she went on to write more than a dozen books in all. In 1911 she married Rev. Ewan MacDonald and moved to Ontario, where she continued to write while fulfilling the duties of a minister's wife and raising two sons.
Lucy Maud's own story is as full of as many hardships as her plucky heroines experienced. A lengthy battle with her publisher and her husband's illness took a great toll on her. Even so, her prolific writing earned her numerous awards, and adaptations of her works grace screen and stage and have been translated into many languages.
Many of the areas she wrote about are still recognizable today in Cavendish and the surrounding area. The landscape, the dunes, and many of the same houses are there for visitors to see. Her books are brought to life when you see the landscapes and villages she saw when she was writing.
