From her sunny characters, notably Anne Shirley (of Anne of Green Gables) and happy plots, you’d think that L.M. Montgomery (1874 – 1942) was reflecting on an idyllic life. But writing was something that served as a  pleasurable escape, especially as she grew older.

Montgomery, known to her familiars as Maud,  wove her personal experiences with marriage and motherhood into her work. She struggled with severe bouts of depression, and was the primary caregiver to her husband, whose mental illnesses eventually incapacitated him.   Read More→