Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874
-1942)
Written by Gail Whiteside
Published by 50plus.com
Lucy
Maud Montgomery created an unforgettable character when she wrote Anne of
Green Gables. The author molded the character of Anne to be a spunky red
headed girl with pigtails, who was as much a handful to deal with as she
was a delight. Montgomery’s creation put Prince Edward Island and Canada
on the world literary map. Anne’s sense of optimism and imagination has
made an indelible mark on fans world wide, especially the Japanese.
Montgomery is best known for Anne of Green Gables. It was her first
best-seller. Yet few may know she published some 500 short stories and
poems, and twenty novels. Almost all of the novels were set on Prince
Edward Island, even though the author lived in Ontario for the last
thirty-one years of her life. The L.M. Montgomery Institute, housed at the
University of P.E.I., writes a fitting tribute to the author: “Today,
Montgomery's novels, journals, letters, short stories, and poems are read
and studied by general readers and scholars from around the world. Her
writing appeals to people who love beauty and to those who struggle
against oppression. In the Second World War, Polish soldiers were issued
copies of Montgomery's novels to take to the front. A post-war Japan
turned to Anne for lessons in optimism and imagination”. In
Charlottetown, a theatrical production of Anne of Green Gables has played
before packed houses for over twenty five years. Recent television series
and movies based on Montgomery’s novels have been syndicated
internationally, and have done much to keep the authors words alive. Lucy
Maud Montgomery’s prolific writing continues to delight readers around
the world, and it is our honour to include the noted author in our list of
Great Canadians.
Photo courtesy of George Campbell, Anne of Green Gables Museum, Park Corner, Prince Edward Island |
