Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Incredible Life of a Great Canadian Writer

by Stan Sauerwein

"I set my teeth and said, 'I will succeed.' I believed in myself and struggled on alone ... I never told my ambitions and efforts and failures to any one. Down, deep down, under all discouragement and rebuff, I knew I would arrive someday." - L. M. Montgomery. This book will be especially fascinating for all readers interested biography, or the "Anne" stories. L. M. Montgomery, the creator of Anne of Green Gables and author of more than 20 books, is a household name the world over. Anne of Green Gables has been translated into 40 different languages and immortalized on film, television, and stage. The spirited story of orphaned Anne was inspired by the natural beauty of Prince Edward Island.

Genres: Biography

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Nate Hendley was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1966 but grew up in Waterloo, ON.

From 1985 1989, he attended Trent University in Peterborough, ON, and graduated with an Honours BA in Cultural Studies.

In 1991 he returned to school to study journalism at Conestoga College in Kitchener, ON. Shortly thereafter, he began freelancing.

Since the early 1990s, Nate has written hundreds of news articles, features, profiles, investigative pieces, advertorials, corporate stories and public relations items. His writing credits include The National Post, The Globe and Mail, Marketing Magazine, eye weekly, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Journal, etc.

He is particularly adept at writing about political, social and cultural issues, automotive, high-tech and business topics and health-related concerns.

In addition to his work as a journalist, he is a published author, formlery with Altitude Publishing, and now with Five Rivers.

Nate has also published two childrens books with Jackfruit Press of Toronto: Jean Chretien: The Scrapper Who Climbed His Way to the Top (2005) and William Lyon Mackenzie King: The Loner Who Kept Canada Together (2006).

His latest book, Bonnie and Clyde: A Biography, was published by the Greenwood Publishing Group in spring, 2007. This marks his first book by an American publisher.

Nate is the Ontario Regional Director of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. PWAC is a national organization that represents the interests of freelance writers.

Nate lives in Toronto with a demanding cat."

Reviews

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 3.5 STARS

(Review Not on Blog)

This is a very brief biography on Lucy Maud Montgomery. It is great for children as it is easy to comprehend and nothing "adult" in content. For adults it is a really quick read and it will whet your appetite for more on Maud!

[Becky Skillin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maud’s life was sad and this biography shows how writing provided financial stability but fame isn’t as glorious as it seems.

Readers believe the story could have been real, but the truth of the matter is that it is fiction. Fiction has a powerful effect on culture, though.

The tourists are a bother for locals,but they add cash to the Prince Edward Island economy somehow. It’s a famous part of Atlantic Canada and continues to draw folks who otherwise wouldn’t go.

PEI is a lovely place in the summer and the national park is a historic centre showing Green Gables, Lovers Lane, and there are lakes of shining waters everywhere you drive.

My take away from the book is that unloved children become adults who can’t love. No amount of fame can make up for family rejection. I was disappointed to see her taken advantage of by her publishers.

Although a grade 5 or 6 student could read it, it is a series of facts and failure. They could lose interest.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is dedicated to the dark side of L M Montgomery s life. It is a depressing account of our famous Canadian author. I am looking forward to reading the 4 volumes of her journals. I am sure it is possible to focus on her moments of light and life. The author of such a bright character as is Anne in her books, would only produce gloom and doom in her writing if this was the only life she herself knew.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this short biography about Lucy Maud Motgomery as I wait for the fall release of Marilla of Green Gables :)

[Franchesca Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was interesting, but I don't really remember much, to be honest! I do remember admiring her grit and endurance, but I can't say anymore than that.

[Christy Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short, young adult biography on the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, best known as the author of the Anne of Green Gables fame. This slim biography was informative if a bit depressing given the hardships that Maud endured repeatedly throughout her life; they began in fact to feel unremitting. I wondered where there had been any joy to inspire the fictions she wrote so constant were her real world trials from childhood til the day she died. It certainly provided me with admiration for her as a person and for how she was able to create such fictions, but I can't say that I actually enjoyed the book much. It also quelled a longtime desire I'd had to see the Anne house in PEI; I now understand how much fiction that too is and was created more as publicity show than historical reality.

[Rosalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book title, as I see, seems to be "Amazing Stories: Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Incredible Life of the Creator of Anne of Green Gables". I was having a hard time finding this one on here, but this is the same cover and title on the image.

I found this a good read, it was short and doesn't talk about everything, but it did have other things in it that others didn't, just a tid bit extra. She is a very interesting person.