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by Artis Duffy Crawford, Parry Sound, Ontario

Source: The Avonlea Traditions Chronicle, Issue No. 20, Summer 1997

I rediscovered L. M. Montgomery when I decided to read her wonderful novel, Anne of Green Gables to my daughters (then eight and nine) during a camping trip in 1992.

During the camping trip, my husband also looked forward to the "nightly read" and we all enjoyed laughing at Anne's antics, crying with her in her troubles, and loving her "joie de vivre". Her optimism, even towards life's problems, and her deep appreciation of beauty in all its forms makes her a timeless inspirational character.

I wanted to know more about the person who created such a wonderful character. I believed that L. M. Montgomery must have been very much like Anne to write so poetically about life's beauty in its many forms.

Through reading L. M. Montgomery's personal journals, I became fascinated with her. She was not entirely Anne, but certainly had many similarities, such as growing up with stern, elderly parental figures, her intense love of nature and literature, and her devotion to good friendships.

L. M. Montgomery was born in Clifton, Prince Edward Island in 1874, yet her life did not follow a typically "old-fashioned" path. She was interested in pursuing her education and a career in journalism at a time when most women would have been discouraged to do so. She grew up in a home that did not particularly promote freedom of expression, yet her creative spirit blossomed in spite of it. She experienced the joys of romantic passion, yet she followed the mores of her time and settled for a marriage based on social standing rather than passionate love.

She was plagued by "black moods", stifling church work demands that did not interest her and a prosaic husband who, in addition to resenting her talent and fame, was plagued by severe mental depression which she worked hard to conceal from others.

L. M. Montgomery was an amazing person. She spoke with a surprisingly modern voice in her journals. She, indeed, became my friend, and more than that - a kindred spirit. I could relate to the sometimes humorous while accepting the sometimes judgemental analysis of life around her.

On another family camping trip in 1994, this time to Prince Edward Island, I felt privileged to visit L. M. Montgomery's favourite places - to see and touch things that were written about and enjoyed by her. In Cavendish, I was thrilled by the red roads, the crimson cliffs, the pinky-beige beaches, and the omnipresent sparkling blue water.

More than that, I could feel L. M. Montgomery's spirit with me in all of these places. As we strolled down the famous Lover's Lane and through the Haunted Wood, I knew that she was right there too, drinking in all of its serenity and beauty.

Finally, we followed the path through the woods to the graveyard in Cavendish where L. M. Montgomery is buried. Standing by her grave was a solemn and special moment.

thanked her for being my friend.

Editor's note: The "personal journals" referred to in this article are The Selected Journals of L. M. Montgomery, edited by Mary Rubio and Elizabeth Waterston, available in four volumes.

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