My age registered in single digits when my mother handed me a copy of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I immediately opened the book and read the first paragraph. I exclaimed, "It's all one run-on sentence!" I suppressed the urge to rewrite that paragraph and kept reading.

In short order, I read all eight of the books about Anne Shirley. I was delighted by her misadventures. It was the first time I'd read a series that followed a character's entire life. It was fun to watch Anne grow up and change from an unwanted orphan to an adopted daughter and student to a teacher and a mother. The earlier books, powered by the fun of youth and whimsy, are my favorites in the series.

I love the character of Anne Shirley because she is smart, spunky, sassy, bold, determined, and creative. I related her to her love of stories, her insatiable appetite for knowledge, and her vivid imagination.

After tackling the Anne octet, I read many of L.M. Montgomery's other stories, such as the Emily trilogy and Magic for Marigold. I found them all enjoyable. Montgomery's writing is detailed and exquisite, with dialogue specific to certain characters and accurate depictions of small towns and certain time periods. She created characters which were both daring and thoughtful, who fought to realize their dreams, and who respected their origins and their families.

I've never been to Canada, but someday, I'd like to visit Prince Edward Island, the province where many of Montgomery's stories take place. Until then, I'll simply watch Kevin Sullivan's great film adaptations of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea starring the incredible Megan Follows and feel as if I'm there.

Learn More about Lucy Maud Montgomery

You may read many of Lucy Maud Montgomery's works online, thanks to Project Gutenberg.

Wikipedia offers a biography and bibliography about the author.

University of Guelph in Canada appears to have a lovely collection of Lucy Maud Montgomery's manuscripts, journals, and scrapbooks.

Travel on Today's One-Shot World Tour

Last year, Colleen's idea to spotlight books and authors from a specific country led to the One Shot World Tour: Best Read With Vegemite, a blogfest of love for Australian authors.

Since the first One Shot World Tour (OSWT) was a success, we're taking another trip. Join us today as we celebrate Canadian authors. Simply post about any book of any genre for any age group written by a Canadian author, then provide Colleen with the link to your post and you'll be included in the day's round-up.

Today's participants include:
Aurora's Journal
Big A, little a
Bildungsroman
Bookshelves of Doom
A Chair, a Fireplace & a Tea Cozy
Chasing Ray
Chicken Spaghetti
Educating Alice
Finding Wonderland (Post 1)
Finding Wonderland (Post 2)
A Fuse #8 Production
The Journal of Impossible Things
NYRB
Once Upon a Bookshelf
Original Content
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Shaken & Stirred
Teen Book Review
Wands and Worlds
Worth the Trip

Cecilia Galante has two books coming out this year: The Patron Saint of Butterflies, which details life at a religious commune, and Hershey Herself, in which a family moves to a shelter to get away from the mother's abusive boyfriend. Heavily inspired by events in the author's own life, these stories are eye-opening. Cecilia was kind enough to answer my questions about her stories and her life.

Which was harder to write, The Patron Saint of Butterflies or Hershey Herself?

What an interesting question. Both books, while fictional, draw on personal experiences I've had throughout my life. The Patron Saint of Butterflies is set in a religious commune similar to the one I was born into and raised in, and Hershey Herself addresses domestic violence, which is something I dealt with later in life. Looking back now, though, I couldn't say that either experience was harder than the other. Growing up in a commune had its own challenges, while gathering the courage to leave an abuser presented another, completely unique set of difficulties. Ironically enough, it was the writing about them which proved to be the easy part. Delving into subjects so close to you can sometimes be the groundwork for deep, meaningful prose. Hopefully, what I have done with each of these topics will resonate with someone, somewhere along the line, who has or is going through something similar.

( Read more... )

Visit Cecilia's official website.

Read my review of Hershey Herself.