Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874 – 1942)

Lucy Maud Montgomery was an acclaimed writer and creator of Anne of Green Gables. Born in Prince Edward Island, she lost her mother before the age of two and was raised by her grandparents. Deeply lonely as a child, Montgomery created imaginary friends to counter her sense of isolation. She wrote her first published poem, "On Cape Le Force" in 1890 while still in school. Montgomery's first novel, Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908, broke sales records and was an immediate critical success. The author eventually married and raised a family, all the while writing and publishing widely. She completed five more books in the Anne series, all featuring the orphaned heroine Anne Shirley. A prolific writer, Montgomery published countless articles and stories, another novel series, books of poetry, works of non-fiction, journals and letters, but it was Anne of Green Gables that brought her international fame. The still-popular book has sold over 50 million copies worldwide and been translated into 36 languages. Throughout the years, it has been adapted to film, stage and radio, as well as a number of television miniseries.

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”
- Anne of Green Gables