Kindred Spirit: A Biography of L. M. Montgomery, Creator of Anne of Green Gables

by Catherine M. Andronik

Recounts Montgomery's childhood in rural Canada at the turn of the century--a childhood similar to that of her creation--and describes her struggle to become a writer without support or encouragement from friends or family.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Biography Memoir, Juvenile, Memoir, History, Classics

160 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 1993

About the author

Catherine M. Andronik is a library media specialist in a Connecticut high school. She has written nonfiction books for readers of all ages.

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindred Spirit: A Biography of L. M. Montgomery, Creator of Anne of Green Gables is a very good biography for older kids/young adults. It was published in 1993 when only the first few edited volumes of Maud's journals were available. Don't look for mention of Maud possibly, probably overdosing but it does talk about all the stressors that led to her break down and dying.

Maud hated biographies and thought they were too unbalanced but I think she would appreciate this one. It's very cheery and well-written but does acknowledge that Maud had dark periods she was good at hiding. It explains how she didn't want to be the wife of a minister and struggled to contain her natural enthusiasms for having a good time. It mentions the romance with Herman Leard while she was engaged to her cousin, her stillborn baby, talks about her interest in the occult and how she wrote in her journals about a prophetic dream during WWI and other dreams she thought might be prophetic. (Worked into Rilla of Ingleside).

My paperback novels are listed as 6th grade reading level and I'd say this biography is the same level. It should appeal to older tweens and adult readers who want to know more but not too much. For older readers doing scholarly research, this won't fit the bill but for the curious, it's very good. It's going back on the keeper shelf.

[Allyson Jamison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved L.M. Montgomery's books for a long time now and it was such fun reading about the author behind the books. I found so many similarities between Maud's life and her books. She was an incredible person but also had a sad, darker side. It all contributed to give her the gift of writing such incredible fiction. She will forever be one of my favorite authors!

[Connie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a charming biography of L.M. Montagomery, the author of the Anne of Green Gables books, many other children's books, several adult novels, and many poems and short stories. Born in 1874, Maud Montgomery was raised by her grandparents on Prince Edward Island after her mother died and her father traveled to western Canada. In addition to her writing, she had a strong interest in photography and the occult. She married in her late thirties to a minister, moved to Ontario, and raised two sons. It was a difficult marriage since her husband suffered from depression, and she inwardly rebelled at always having to present herself as the perfect minister's wife. She died in 1942.

Montgomery's books are still popular today, and have been translated into other languages. Anne of Green Gables is included as a literature text in Japanese schools, and Prince Edward Island has an especially large number of Japanese visitors visiting L.M. Montgomery's childhood home.

This was an enjoyable biography suitable for older children or young adults. It included photographs of important family members and homes.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really brought Maud to life. Done in a strong narrative style, it feels as though you're reading a fiction book. One of the top ten people I wish I could've met....I think we would've gotten along pretty well. Really enjoyed this book, read in about a day.

[Kelly Wickham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of LM Montgomery's original journals, all of her books and have visited PEI, her grave site and all the houses that she lived in. I am a huge fan. I really enjoyed this book. Because it was 3rd person perspective, I did learn some tidbits about Maud that I did not know before, especially in regards to her correspondence with pen pals. I also liked how anyone, not just fans, can pick up this book and most likely find it a very interesting story about a woman of Maud's time. It keeps you reading and wanting to know more. It's not a 5 because more information has come out about Maud since this book was published. Particularly the circumstances of her death and her final book that was published posthumously over a hundred years later and the reasons for that. And it also white washes over the behaviors of her eldest son, Chester, and how his actions caused her great stress and affected some of the decisions that the family made. Not all was peaches and cream in Maud's life and those are some of the critical parts that are missing in this book which make her a truly fascinating person.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read biography for teens or adults. Odd bolded font throughout, but other than that, it was a good read. I'm reading another biography on Montgomery that's a bit longer at the same time as I was reading this one (I know, nuts), but this one stands on its own well.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't my favorite biography. I enjoyed it because it was about LM Montgomery but overall the writing is not very high quality. Plus, it is pretty vague which kind of works if you want an introduction to Montgomery's life or just a broad overview.

I think personally, it simplified things far too much. It is interesting because the book mentioned a few times how Montgomery did not want a biography written because they couldn't really portray a full life and this one has just that problem. No biography could ever really show someones whole life but this one is much farther from the mark than others.

I would not recommend this as a biography but I enjoyed getting to start learning more about my favorite author.

[Sophia Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a delightful little novel, but it reads almost like a high-school student’s essay. I loved getting a little insight into the life of my most favorite author, L.M.Montgomery- but that was all it was. It seemed to cast too much of a cherry light on Maud’s life, in what I assume was an attempt to make it approachable for younger children. I would like to see if I could find a biography of her that goes a bit more into detail. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone that wants some light yet interesting reading about one of the, in my opinion, most talented authors to have ever put pen to paper.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second of two YA directed biographies I recently read about Lucy Maud Montgomery MacDonald, , the first being Maud: The Life of L.M. Montgomery by Harry Bruce. Both are based on her selected journals, letters and other bios and an autobiography, so both are quite accurate. This one covers her whole life fairly evenly while the other focuses on her childhood and life up to writing Anne. I found the bold print of this book less easy on the eyes than normal print is.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very condensed version of LM Montgomery's life. It hits the high points and is probably fine for YA readers. However, it is short and not very detailed. I also think that some of what is written doesn't correspond with what I have read in her journals. (Unreliable biographer?)

[Dionne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book on the life of one of North America's most beloved authors.

[Corinne Apezteguia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good, quick read, but definitely left me wanting a bit more!

[Tony Tubb · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to the life of this important author.

[Olivia G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this after the Emily series was really fun because I saw just how similar Montgomery's life was to Emily's. I learned a lot here and I'd recommend it.

[Aer Bluewilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, the author kept it very interesting. It never was tedious to read, and I am aware that this book is often placed in the children's section in libraries. I think that if you are interested in reading the biographies of L.M Montgomery, this is the book you should start with, because it directly and factually tells you the more fascinating things about her life. I was sad to see that while her books bring some much pleasure and lightness to the reader, her life did not mirror those words. The biographer is blunt about Montgomery having to deal with some very unpleasant things in her life, however, she also describes the many good things in her life as well. I like how she describes her relationship with her favorite cat Lucky ( Jane of Lantern Hill is dedicated to Lucky). I can relate how Montgomery felt when Lucky died, that he would go to heaven like most cats, but he was different, Montgomery described Lucky's soul as "almost human". I had a cat named Dagger who was very special to me, and when he went missing, never to return, I mourned him like I had lost my own flesh and blood. The biographer explained Montgomery's sadness regarding this event, and I think this she captured the humanity of Montgomery that some biographies of people fail to.

[Linore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent little book of this beloved author's life, told intelligently for older children. There is enough detail so that even an adult gets a well-rounded picture of the personality, life and challenges that faced L.M.Montgomery, yet not so much that an inquisitive person won't wish to know more. Photographs add interest and authenticity to the account, though some are dark, and facial features in particular are not always discernible. Effort is made to show the correlation between Ms.Montgomery's most famous fictional characters, such as Anne Shirley, and Emily Starr, to the author's experiences growing up. As an author myself, I found this account touching, sad, wistful, and yet inspiring. One might say that Ms. montgomery's life shows that perseverance can bring success and great blessings to oneself and to mankind, even while giving no guarantee of personal happiness.

[JayeL · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I started this book I was certain that the tone and style of book targeted it at children and teens. I was initially disappointed in the language and writing style used. I did finish the book and found that author got into the groove of writing and wrote better towards the end. I think the problem was that L.M. Montgomery left so many journals that Catherine M. Andronik had trouble culling through materials.

I ended up liking the fact that I got an overview of L.M. Montgomery's life and liked the fact that she persevered and persevered to get her writing published.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given the Anne of Green Gables book one year for my birthday from my granny when I was a girl, so when I came across the biography of L.M. Montgomery at our library's book fair, I couldn't resist not buying it. I didn't know anything about L.M. Montgomery. Since "Kindred Spirit: A Biography of L.M. Montgomery" was written for children, it was an easy read and I must admit I did enjoy reading about her life though I do wish she had a happier marriage.
I have handed over the book to my daughter, Emily, to read next. She has a love of Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea tv shows just like me (we have all of them on DVDs).
We have the first three Anne of Green Gables books in the series in our home library and can you guess what I am going to read next?

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this children's biography at a used book sale at my local library. I love Anne of Green Gables, and I enjoyed learning the basic facts of the author's life by reading this book. Lucy Maud Montgomery was an intriguing woman who lived under the constraints placed on women in the early twentieth century in rural Canada. Yet, she was able to become a woman who followed her dream of becoming a writer and a very successful one at that. She also asserted her rights via the courtroom in challenging royalty payments and book rights against a male-dominated publishing industry. She had all of the spunk I admire in her heroine, Anne Shirley. One big fault in the book is the quality of the photographic reproductions. The photos were very muddy and dark.

[Crystalee Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always interesting to learn about the life of an author. I'm a fan of L. M. Montgomery, who now feels more like a three-dimensional person to me. Her life wasn't always as cheery as her writings of "Anne" makes her seem. I never knew she wrote so many other books or that she grew tired of publishers forcing her to write about Anne. Nor did I realize she had to sue her publisher to maintain her rights or that she suffered quietly while her husband dealt with depression. She was a woman before her time, one who loved her home country, was faithfully Canadian, and enjoyed world-wide recognition. Her writing journey inspires me, as she had her own upward struggle to build her name.

I plan to read many more of her books and would like to visit her Prince Edward Island someday.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library in the childrens section while looking at books with the kids. It's a childrens biography, that I read in one sitting. It was interesting and helped me understand the author and books better. It was fun seeing her real life portrayed in some of the books. I think it also helped me realize why some of the books in the Anne series are so much better then others. Depending on the time they were written she either loved writing about Anne or was doing it simply becuase of publishers. They were not written in the order they are chronologically. There were lots of little trivia but nothing too deep.

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did a good job of following the main events of L.M. Montgomery's life, but I feel it lacked much beyond that. For being a book about the woman who penned Anne of Green Gables, it certainly lacked imagination and great storytelling. Montgomery's life was so fascinating, I felt that the author just kind of delivered the facts. Either way, I enjoyed learning mroe about the author's life. It was a quick read as well.

[Tristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as a simple overview of the life of L.M. Montgomery. It explores her early life and loves, and shows us how she became published and famous. We also catch glimpses into her troubled marriage, but done very tastefully - it's not written like an expose. This book was an insightful look into the life of one of my favorite authors.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography was very good and I loved the snippets from Maud's journals, volumes I plan to find and read, but I do wish the book had been less of a summary. I had hoped it might be longer and more in depth, but then I think it was written for people younger than me. It is still very well done and worth the read, though.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written for a young audience, so it doesn't go into great detail or depth on L.M. Montgomery's life and life in Canada. For the age level it is meant for, I thought it was well written. It was fun to learn more about one of my favorite authors.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, enjoyable read. It is a young adult book and the info is geared toward that audience. I'm certain there are more in-depth, sophisticated analyses of Montgomery's life, but this is an excellent overview for readers of all ages.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very simple but fun to learn more of a favorite author.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Anne of Green Gables. It's such a great character and this woman lead an amazing life full of trials and yet, she wrote an endearing novel. Good read. Great for the women in my life.

[Alison Livingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book I idolize this woman even more. Her life wasn't an easy one but she always found time for the things and people she loved. She was overly imaginative and a child at heart.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is amazing that someone with such challenges wrote with such optimism.