Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery

by Melanie Fishbane

For the first time ever, a young adult novel about the teen years of L.M. Montgomery, the author who brought us ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.


     Fourteen-year-old Lucy Maud Montgomery -- Maud to her friends -- has a dream: to go to college and become a writer, just like her idol, Louisa May Alcott. But living with her grandparents on Prince Edward Island, she worries that this dream will never come true. Her grandfather has strong opinions about a woman's place in the world, and they do not include spending good money on college. Luckily, she has a teacher to believe in her, and good friends to support her, including Nate, the Baptist minister's stepson and the smartest boy in the class. If only he weren't a Baptist; her Presbyterian grandparents would never approve. Then again, Maud isn't sure she wants to settle down with a boy -- her dreams of being a writer are much more important.

     But life changes for Maud when she goes out West to live with her father and his new wife and daughter. Her new home offers her another chance at love, as well as attending school, but tensions increase as Maud discovers her stepmother's plans for her, which threaten Maud's future -- and her happiness forever.

• ISBN10: 014319125X
• ISBN13: 9780143191254
• Publish Date: 25 April 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Razorbill
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780143191254

Reviews

[Liz (Bent Bookworm)]

Maud is an engaging fictionalized account of the early life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the creator of the Anne of Green Gables books beloved the world over. While a work of historical fiction, the book encompasses many known facts and events of Montgomery's life. I was very surprised to see how very similar, in many ways, her growing up years were to those of her character Anne. It was also very sad to see how, unlike Anne, she never really seemed to have support or love from much of her family. I was very intrigued to say the least, and will be looking at a full length biography of her in the future.

I was struck by how hard Montgomery worked to be able to write her stories. In a time when women were expected only to marry and have children, and anything else was considered strange or even evil, she chose education over even her current happiness or in some cases relationships with her family. She seems to have been a feminist before the term was coined. Though she did of course later marry and have children, it was only after she was an established and successful author.

The author takes time to shed light on the condition of women's rights at this time in Canadian history, as well as the plight of some of the native people such as the Metis. There is also particular emphasis on the conflict between different denominations within the Christian church.

The author has included a brief historical biography in the back of the book, along with specifics about what happened to certain characters. This really helped to tie up the story, especially since this particular book ended before Montgomery was even eighteen.

4.5/5 stars. Highly recommend for anyone who has enjoyed the Anne of Green Gables story!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Initial Thoughts: Such a charming book! It does seem romanticized at points, because it was more uplifting/positive than some straight biographies I have read of Montgomery's life, but I do think Fishbane fairly touches on both Montgomery's struggles and successes. And someone who wrote Anne of Green Gables must have been able to see on the bright side in many of the unpleasant situations she encountered. The pacing of the novel is occassionally on the slower side, but the plot and characters are wonderful. Overall, very engaging, and I am usually very skeptical of fictionalized accounts of authors' lives.

[Sam@WLABB]

Three gifs and three quotes to express my reaction to this book


This story is so sweet, charming, and heartwarming, I wore the above expression for most of the book.

He extended his hand. "Come."
She took his hand and couldn't think. She had never held a boy's hand before. And after she had just counted her nine stars. The idea was both thrilling and terrifying.

Poor Maud was like an orphan. After her mother's death, she was bounced around from relative to relative. Some resented her and none understood her. But the worst was her step-mother. I was so appalled by her behavior. I took solace in the fact, that Maud had some supportive relatives and a great group of friends, who built her back up when others were trying to break her spirit and kill her dreams.

"I'm so glad you're home." Mollie wrapped her arms around Maud and gave her a hug so tight she had to keep her hat from falling. "It was like this summer had no sun with you gone."

The romances in this book were so precious and swoony. Though Will and Nate were very different from each other, they were both perfect for Maud. I loved every moment that these two shared with Maud.

P.S. Note, not one mistake this time. Laura has been helping me and my hands aren't so shaky anymore. They just miss touching you.

Overall: A lovely character driven novel, which inspired me to search for more information on LM Montgomery and left me with a warm heart and a smile on my face.

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