The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories

by L.M. Montgomery, Catherine McLay (Editor)

In this remarkable collection of fourteen previously uncollected stories, L.M. Montgomery weaves her unique brand of magic as she explores the private passions of the heart. A country doctor never loses faith in the young woman who swears to return to him; a beautiful maiden, in a fit of pique, recklessly pledges to marry the very first man who asks her; an estranged wife bets her future happiness on a horse race; two maiden ladies, scared onto a roof by a dog, ponder marriage to the dog's owner as the price of rescue. These are some of the unforgettable characters whose stories—of romance and friendship, reconciliation and abiding love—live again in an anthology L.M. Montgomery readers will treasure.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Romance, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Canada

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Lucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908.

Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.

Reviews

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

If truth be told, this 1979 collection of L.M. Montgomery short stories (collected and edited by Catherine McLay) has never even remotely ranked amongst my favourites. And yes, the primary reason for my for the most part pretty lacklustre reading reaction to the Doctor’s Sweetheart and Other Stories is first and foremost simply because McLay has included far far too many tales of lost and found love, of matchmaking for my reading tastes and really to the point that reading The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories does have the tendency to become annoyingly tedious, especially if one is like me and finds in particular matchmaking and too much romance one of the only aspects of L.M. Montgomery's fiction that can and does wear more than a bit thin at times (but indeed especially if one is constantly quasi being hit over the proverbial head with this).

In other words, while I can and do for example somewhat (even if often rather grudgingly) tolerate Anne Shirley and her recurring penchant for matchmaking and lovemaking because there is also so much more within the pages of the Anne of Green Gables series to mitigate and lessen the latter, in The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories there has always been a to and for me annoying and frustrating surfeit of romance so to speak (and that many of the presented tales of The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories if not even the vast majority of them, have equally tended to read more than a bit repetitively, with the same themes rehashed over and over again, not really an issue for me, I guess, if these concepts are actually of personal interest, but if they are not, well, that is of course an entirely different story).

And while I would definitely NOT ever go so far as to not recommend The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories (as individuals, as potential readers who actually like and appreciate tales generally super-heavy with themes of love, marriage and the like, might very well find The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories desirable and readable), I for one certainly do find that for me, this here offering of presented L.M. Montgomery short fiction is barely adequate at best, and also does NOT AT ALL pass the test for rereading potential either (with the latter being for me what in fact makes personal classics, what makes literature). And that yes indeed, rereading (and with this I of course mean doing so for pleasure and not for academic necessity) is something that I simply cannot and will not consider with The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories, as Catherine McLay has most definitely chosen to include frustratingly and annoyingly just far far too many L.M. Montgomery short stories that I simply do not really enjoy all that much from a thematic and a content-based point of view and indeed equally so far far too few tales that I actually and personally am able to wholeheartedly and happily enjoy.

[Tweety · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2

I really enjoyed this selection of short stories! I'm not doing a synopsis, but I'll list my favorites and rate each.

Kismet:3, I don't care much for big misunderstandings between people so this one wasn't a reread for me

Emily's Husband: 3, these two, (husband and wife) were too set in their own ways! But for all that it was still satisfying

The Girl and the Wild Race: 4, this one was quite fun, I liked watch the characters scramble. That's just my wicked sense of humor hoping someone would fall in a mud puddle, though.

The Promise of Lucy Ellen: 4, I liked this older couple romance, especially the balding hero. His persistence made him 100% lovable.

The Parting of Ways: 3, this was a bit sad I don't like hopeless stories much. Even though I knew it had to end the May it did, I wish it could have been different.

The Doctor's Sweetheart: 4, sweet! I really did enjoy this one, I love how the characters waited and never gave up.

By The Grace of Julius Caesar: 5, lol, I love this story. It's a bit of a remake on another L.M.M short story only two ladies are treed instead of one and instead of going inside the spend their time on the roof. Terribly funny. :)

Akin to Love: 4, this one was so different from most of L. M. M's short stories and I liked that about it. Maybe because it was winter time? Or maybe it was just me.

The Finished Story: 3, bitter-sweet, but just lovely. It finished in a charming manner

My Lady Jane: 4, this one is told from the man's point of view and it has an unexpected twist. The fact that he look like his cousin is a plus.

Abel and his Great Adventure: 4, sad-ish, but beautiful. It has a lot to do with moon gazing.

The Garden of Spices: 5, This was my second favorite! It's a longer one and so full of hope and happiness. Plus it a little boy who escapes out of The Blue Room window into the forbidden next door gardens.

The Bride is Waiting: 5, My favorite of them all. How did I not figure the story out? The hero deserves a clap on the back for winning the bride.

I Know a Secret: 2, I didn't like this one, it the reason I didn't give this book a whole five. The girl in this was a brat. I felt so sorry for our little main character.

G Perfectly clean and no swearing.

[Mireille Duval · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this collection. Some of the stories were very strong - stronger than in the other short stories books, I felt. I am just amazed that Montgomery manages to catch so much of human nature, emotion, and life, in such short stories.

The Girl and the Wild Race was my favorite - I had to stop reading for a while after it, because the excitement! the adventure! the love! It was too much, haha. I liked most stories of estranged lovers getting back together, particularly Kismet and Emily's Husband. The Promise of Lucy Ellen and I Know a Secret were both in the Anne books; but the latter was one of my least favorite parts of Anne of Ingleside and it was basically textually the same (with "Jane" replaced by "Nan" and a love story tackled on in an ending paragraph, but that was pretty much it), whereas the former still packed a punch for me, particularly since the West sisters both have an happy ending in Anne, and not here.

I liked the humour of Julius Caesar (I was startled for a second when two stranded ladies suggested that they call someone - and proceeded to scream their heads out, because that is the only way to call someone in 1900) and the trickery of The Bride is Waiting and the lovely, Secret Garden-like feeling of The Garden of Spices. The only stories I liked less were the ones without romance, basically, hah. It's always a pleasure to read Montgomery's version of it.

[Omaira · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me decidí a leer este libro porque no llegaba a las 150 páginas y pensaba que iba a ser entretenido, pero llegó un punto en el que me costaba tener ganas de continuar con la lectura. Esta obra está compuesta por 14 relatos y hay para todos los gustos, unos son casi ridículos y otros son preciosos a pesar de su brevedad.

La mayoría giran en torno a romances y lo único que me disgustaba es que algunos tenían mucho potencial y, sin embargo, no eran tan maravillosos como podrían haber sido por lo cortos que eran, es más, parecían simples extractos de historias más largas.

Otro aspecto negativo es que, una vez leídos los primeros relatos, es fácil adivinar cómo se desarrollarán los demás. La autora sigue casi siempre el mismo patrón y sus personajes no tienen demasiado misterio. Esto provocó que, más o menos a la mitad, se fuera despertando en mí cierta pereza y no me costara tener ganas de continuar leyendo. Además, algunos relatos eran surrealistas y no porque fueran breves, sino porque no tenían sentido y había enamoramientos y compromisos nada creíbles y por razones absurdas (una decidió que se quería casar tras ver que el chico no sabía hacerse de comer ni mantener su casa limpia). En todo caso, aunque este recopilatorio fue publicado en 1979, los relatos fueron escritos a principios del siglo XX, así que puede que por eso algunas actitudes resulten anticuadas hoy en día.

A pesar de todo, no os diría que descartéis este libro, incluso las peores historias no serían tan malas si no fuera por la rapidez con la que se desarrollan. Y en las que para mí fueron buenas, pude sentir la desesperación o el amor que había entre los protagonistas.

Mis relatos favoritos: ”El destino”, “El marido de Emily”, “La joven y la carrera alocada”, “La novia del médico” y “El jardín de las fragancias”.

La nota real sería un 2,5/5 , pero no le doy el 3/5 porque los relatos no eran extraordinarios y ninguno me pareció perfecto al 100% (en mi ”Reading progress” hay una pequeña frase valorando cada uno).

[Rikke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm currently in the middle of rereading every Montgomery-piece I can get my hands on. And I'm equally surprised by the sheer volume of her writing and how impossible it is to get my hands on.

In her lifetime, Montgomery wrote more than 500 short stories. Many have been forgotten, almost all are now out of print and are mainly considered footnotes to her legacy.

But a part of me thinks that's wrong. While arguably not her most impressive work, the short stories are where it all began. Much like her heroine Emily, Montgomery celebrated and triumphed every time a story was accepted by a newspaper or household magazine. It was her first taste of success, her first glimpse of her own name in print. And it enabled her to go on and write about Anne, Emily, Pat and Marigold.

This particular collection is not necessarily awe-inspiring, but it offers a fascinating glimpse into her writing process. With stories dating back as far as 1899 you really get a sense of the young Montgomery's writing.

And there's familiarity too; characters named Emily or Jim, stern aunts, lonesome children and of course, the beautiful Canadian landscape that runs through all of Montgomery's work. The stories are overly sentimental, flawed and predictable, but they're a joy to read all the same. And I cannot wait to dive deeper, to read more and gain a better understanding of the author who created so many of our favourite characters.

Next up: Akin to Anne. I'm just waiting for the mail to arrive ...

[alicja · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Meghan John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can one say? It's L.M. Montgomery!! I think my favorites were, The Bride Waits, (ohhh I loved that one!), My Lady Jane, and Akin to Love.:)

[Elinor Loredan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/2024 reread:
This remains one of my favorite LMM short story collections. Some stories are rather dreary, but others are uplifting, and all feature sympathetic characters and interesting scenarios. My favorites have not changed, but I appreciate other tales I previously was not impressed by ("Kismet," "Akin to Love," for instance).

***
2011?
A lovely collection of short stories, many of them about 'misplaced' romance, in which women marry out of convenience, but a few truly romantic ones too.

My favorites are 'The Finished Story', 'The Garden of Spices', and 'The Bride is Waiting'. True, I could spot the 'plot twists' a mile away, but that doesn't lessen the stories for me in the slightest. My reading isn't necessarily driven by plot, but what happens in the plot-that is, the characters, dialogue, etc.

Definitely worth reading and rereading.

[Taru Luojola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vanhanaikaisia romanttisia novelleja. Niin vanhanaikaisia, että romantiikkaa on suurimmaksi osaksi vaikea tunnistaa, tai jos sen tunnistaakin, mahdotonta pitää romanttisena. Mutta on kirjassa yksi sitaatin arvoinen viisaus, jonka ansiosta voin antaa tälle kaksi tähteä: ”Jos voitte istua toisen ihmisen seurassa vaiti puoli tuntia ja tuntea olonne mukavaksi, teistä ja tuosta ihmisestä voi tulla ystävät. Jos ette voi, teistä ei tule koskaan ystäviä, eikä teidän kannata tuhlata aikaa yrittämiseen.”

[Clarisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hace un mes que lo aparqué y no creo que lo retome.
Si ya normalmente es recomendable espaciar los relatos, en este caso todavía más porque son todos muy similares.
Al principio está bien, la ambientación recuerda un poco a Avonlea pero ningún personaje tiene el carisma de Anne. Con el paso de las páginas descubres que la motivación de todos siempre es algo relacionado con el matrimonio y todas las historias son parecidas.
Mucho te tiene que gustar el estilo o ir leyéndolo muy de vez en cuando.
2⭐

[Alyssa DeLeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciate the abundance of new words I learn in L.M. Montgomery stories. This was another home run short story collection. Lucy Maud was a genius.

[Yue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I read this lovely book was approximately 15 years ago. And the last time was around 5 years after that (the library at my school owns a copy). I have always wanted to buy it, so I could not believe my luck when I found an used copy in Amazon at USD 0.01 only! (although, with the shipping and all that, it cost me around USD 5.00).

Re-reading again was a pleasure; some stories were like I've read it yesterday instead of a decade ago. All of them -places, plot, characters- are Kindred Spirits. This is a collection worth of reading.

- "Kismet": a young woman re-encounters her husband in a horse race. It was a bit sad, but with a HFN ending.

- "Emily's Husband": an old grudge between Emily and her husband kept them apart for many years. The ending was a bit like Anne and The Island, when she realizes her feeling for Gilbert when he is almost dying.

- "The Girl and The Wild Race": Judith gets mad when her aunt keeps pestering about marriage. She gets so mad she promises to marry the first man who proposes to her, so two eager suitors race to arrive first. OOMF*.

- "The Promise of Lucy Ellen": this story is similar to the one of Rosemary and Mr. Meredith from Rainbow Valley.

- "The Parting of the Ways": a sad story, a woman who wants to make what is right for the boy who admires her so much. I pitied the woman at the end.

- "The Doctor's Sweetheart": the narrator -an old woman- and the Doctor are waiting for Marcella, while the town pities the Doctor, not believing she would come back. Marcella was too young in my opinion, but there is no age in love, isn't it?

- "By the Grace of Julius Cesar": two women are trapped in the roof of the house of a man, not wanting to get down until the dog is away. But the man won't keep the dog away until one of the women agrees to be his wife. It's funny, and a bit sarcastic I think. OOMF*.

- "Akin to Love": a woman who has been rejecting his suitor's proposal for years has to help him with his sick sister. Also funny.

- "A Finished Story": another bittersweet story; a woman who had lost her love and never knew if he loved her back or not.

- "My Lady Jane": a man masquerades as his cousin, and re-encounters his old love.

- "Abel and His Great Adventure": my least favorite, only because I did not understand the plot. It was almost like an old man sharing his thoughts with the narrator, a bit like Captain Jim.

- "The Garden of Spices": I loved this one mainly because the MC is a boy, and LMM knew how to write from a kid's POV. It is also one of the sweetest, with a HEA. OOMF*.

- "The Bride is Waiting": Susan has to redecorate the house of her dreams for her old suitor and his new bride, Juanita. This kind of story is so LMM style, funny and romantic. OOMF.

- "I Know A Secret": if you are a big fan of LMM works, this title alone has to sound familiar to you. It is a "recycled" story of Nan in Anne of Ingleside.

(*OOMF = One of my favorites)

[Maria Elmvang · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't read this short story collection in years, so thought it was time to pick it up again, but on this read-through, I was surprised to see how dark and almost depressing all the stories were, despite the main theme allegedly being romance. Very few - if any - were completely happy love-stories, instead there was love lost, love regained after a long estrangement, love found at the expense of others, or love misunderstood. I didn't pay attention to when these short-stories were written, but if I were to venture a guess, I'd think it was rather late in LMM's life, when her depression had become more pronounced.

[Francie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kismet
2.5 stars
I'm not quite sure when it was written but it seems to be a very early work. I did not much care for it.

Emily's Husband
3 stars
Not too fond of this one either but nice enough.

The Girl and the Wild Race
3.5 stars
Two men racing for their love. Interesting and mildly exciting.

The promise of Lucy Ellen
3.5 stars
I think we had that theme before, of old maids living together promising each other never too marry. Nice little story though.

The Parting of The Ways
3 stars
Sad and not really uplifting. Virtue won but at what price?

The Doctor's Sweetheart
3.5 stars
Sweet but I would have liked to read a little more about the love unfolding before the separation.

By Grace of Julius Caesar
3.5 stars
Funny and odd in a Cranford sort of way

Akin to Love
4 stars
That one was quite nice. The notion of women marrying men because they don't have a good housekeeper is interesting and also present in the story before.

The finished Story
4 stars
Bittersweet and sad.

My Lady Jane
4 stars
A story with a happy ending, rather unlikely but Hello Anne's House of Dreams and Leslie's husband.
I didn't like that he didn't tell Jane the truth afterwards though I suppose that might well have ended in a 10 year separation considering the speed of forgiveness exerted by the heroines in Montgomery's stories.

Abel and his great Adventure
4 stars
Very thoughtful and melancholic.

The Garden of Spices
5 stars
Really beautiful story.

The Bride is waiting
5 stars
Very sweet and original. What interior design can do for you...

I know a Secret
3 stars
Quite the same story as with Nan or Di in The Rainbow Valley if I'm not mistaken.

[Sᴏᴄᴏʀʀᴏ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustaron la mayoría de los cuentos. Hay como tres o cuatro que se nota fueron las bases para historias que posteriormente se desarrollarían más en otros libros de L. M. Por ejemplo, La promesa de Lucy Ellen en El Valle del Arcoíris, Abel y su gran aventura en Anne y la casa de sus sueños, con el capitán Jim, Tengo un secreto en Anne la de Ingleside y hay algunas frases que se repiten en varios de sus escritos, marcando claramente su huella. La escritura de L.M. me parece fascinante, y nunca me cansaré de sus obras, sean cuentos o novelas.

El destino: 4/5
El marido de Emily: 3/5
La joven y la carrera alocada: 5/5
La promesa de Lucy Ellen: 3/5
Momento de decisión: 2/5
La novia del médico: 2/5
Gracias a Julio César: 3/5
Un solo paso: 2/5
El último capitulo: 5/5
Mi querida Jane: 3/5
Abel y su gran aventura: 5/5
El Jardín de las Fragancias: 5/5
La novia espera: 5/5
Tengo un secreto: 4/5

[nuria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Todas las historias están muy bien escritas, me gustaron aunque ninguna es especialmente romántica (the doctor's sweetheart, que da titulo al libro, es un poco creepy...) pero son divertidas y muy del estilo de la autora. Algunos relatos han sido básicamente copiados y pegados en sus novelas, así que recomiendo leer esta recopilación si quieres leer todo de L.M Montgomery.

Favs: Emily's Husband, The Finished Story, The Garden of Spices, The Bride is Waiting.

[writer... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread of this collection of L.M. Montgomery's short to shortish classics. Descriptive settings of Canadian Prince Edward Island and unique characters of all ages live on through her historic fiction.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all of the stories in this book—a pleasant surprise, as there are usually a few that I don’t enjoy as much. And of course, it was brimming with all the classic L. M. Montgomery charm that I always look forward to and enjoy.

[Jennifer Gyuricska · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her short stories. Poetic little windows into the lives of Island residents that you come to look on as neighbours.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

L.M. Montgomery always feels nostalgic and melancholy in a sweet way to me. Love this last book of hers!

[Janelle Caitlyn Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my favorites of her short story collections. But it is always lovely coming back to Montgomery’s writing and Prince Edward Island.

[Brenda Anweiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

No surprise here, it's a truly lovely collection of short stories, as all L M. Montgomery's works. What a nice surprise to find one I hadn't read.

[Alexandra Freire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tuve una experiencia un poco extraña con este libro. Desde hace ya bastantes años deseaba poder leer algo de L.M. Montgomery y no fue hasta este mes que pude darle una oportunidad a uno de sus libros. Y debo decir, que estaba emocionada al comenzar a leerlo, pero cuando lo hice, me decepcioné. Los cuentos no me parecían emocionantes ni mucho menos románticos, aunque trataran de parejas, segundas oportunidades y todo lo demás.
Estuve a punto de dejar el libro hasta allí, pero algo me impulsó a seguir leyéndolo. Y vaya, mejor que lo hice. En verdad no sé por qué, pero al retomar la lectura los cuentos siguientes me comenzaron a gustar más y más, de una manera exponencial podría decir. Mis favoritos son:
-La novia del médico: la historia de un doctor que se quiere casar con una muchacha menor que él. ambos se aman pero el problema es la edad. Él tiene 35 ella 21. La familia de ella se negaba a que un médico rural se casara con ella. Fue la primera que disfruté enormemente. Y por las edades me recordaron sin dudarlo a Emma Woodhouse y George Knightley.
- Un solo paso: la historia de una chica quien prometió nunca casarse, por lo que estaba acostumbrada a rechazar constantemente las propuestas de matrimonio de un joven, y que luego de que la hermana de éste cayera enferma, la chica no tuviera otro remedio que acudir a su casa y ayudarlo, luego de que lo rechazara tajantemente la última vez, haciéndole ver que no tenía ninguna oportunidad con ella. Pero todo ello cambia...
- El último capítulo: una historia enternecedora, de una señora que le gusta estar rodeada de jóvenes, pero por sobre todo a un joven en especial. Aquella señora le revela que de joven se había enamorado de un muchacho que le recordaba a él, y que porque era enfermizo, se fue y nunca más lo vio, por lo que nunca supo si en verdad la amaba. El final de este cuento es sumamente sorprendente y romántico.
- Abel y su gran aventura: un profesor quien llega a visitar el jardín de Abel, un anciano, el cual poco a poco comienza a narrarle la historia de su juventud y de su enamorada.
- El jardín de las fragancias: narra la historia de un niño que vive con su tío (el cual prometió no volver a casarse debido a que le habían roto el corazón hace años) y una tía, la cual siempre lo encierra en un cuarto azul, hasta que un días se escapa y acude a la casa vecina la cual tiene un hermoso jardín, encontrándose con una hermosa mujer que tiene una gran cicatriz en su rostro y que ha decidido vivir recluída por su apariencia. Esta historia igual tiene un desenlace hermosísimo.
- La novia espera: otra de mis favoritas, y se parece un poco a la de "Un solo paso". Aquí la joven está acostumbrada a que en cada cumpleaños, un chico venga a proponerle matrimonio. Ella perdió a su amado en la guerra y no lo ha podido olvidar aún. Pero se sorprende de sobremanera que en su cumpleaños número 30, el chico no venga a proponerle matrimonio, sino a ayudarlo a decorar la casa de su prometida. El final me dejó con una gran sonrisa en los labios.

Sin duda, L.M Montgomery tiene un modo de escribir excepcional, haciendo que me encariñe con sus personajes, por más corta que sea la historia.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories by L.M. Montgomery is a compilation of 14 short stories written by Montgomery throughout her career.

In general, I am not a fan of short stories. I feel like I'm just getting to know the characters and the story ends. It's just not as satisfactory as a good 200 pages of experiencing the life of a character.

However, my reading is done in short spurts these days so I wasn't sure if I could handle a real novel. When Carrie at Reading to Know recommended The Doctor's Sweetheart I decided to give short stories another try.

After reading "Kismet" I began to doubt my decision. This story is just 5 short pages. The characters don't even have names. They are simply referred to as "a man" and "a woman." The story takes place during the duration of a couple of horse races. While I enjoyed the brief exchange between the couple, the story left me wanting to know more. Why had they separated? Did their reconciliation last? Would they find happiness with one another?

By the time the book was over I was glad I had given short stories another try. As you progress through the book the stories get longer. You also receive more detail about the lives of the characters. I ended the book wishing there was more.

The themes of all the stories (as best I recall) in The Doctor's Sweetheart is pride and reconciliation. Over and over the various characters make decisions that are ultimately rooted in pride. They live for years with less than fulfilling lives as a result. Most are able to put their pride aside by the end of the story and reconcile with someone they care about.

This kind of story is bittersweet to me. I'm thrilled at the reconciliation but saddened by so many years (and lives) wasted because of pride. But isn't that like real life?

How many relationships (friendships) are ruined because someone is too proud to admit they need help? Or unwilling to overlook petty differences? Or refuses to forgive deep wounds?

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories written by L M Montgomery for magazines, etc. I am not a big fan of short stories, but a dear friend sent me a collection of L M Montgomery's works, so I read and enjoyed them, for the most part. They were mostly stories of lost love once again found. Unfortunately, the stories in each of the collections was grouped by the story line, so once you've read a few of them, you can predict how the story will end. It seems Montgomery had formulas for the stories she wrote, changing the names, places, and circumstances slightly to vary the stories.

I enjoyed her books much more, but that was more than 25 years ago. I didn't discover the Anne series until I found them on a visit to the library when I was helping my daughter find books. They were filled with such optimism. If you haven't read a biography on her, you will that she was quite a remarkable woman for the time period in which she lived. And she didn't have the easiest life, either.

[Mary Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cada cuento que ha escribo miss Montgomery me ha gustado y entretenido como una enana. La verdad que no sabía que me iba a encontrarme dentro de este libro, puesto que es el primer libro que no tiene que ver con la saga de su pelirroja Anne Shirley, y por lo visto me he encontrado con muchos cuentos, largos y cortos, en donde abundan siempre un tema en cuestión: el amor. En todas ellas demuestran las diferentes maneras de amar a una persona, aunque sea de una manera tan divertida o en un modo tan triste que te rompe el corazón.
Seguro que para los lectores de Lucy Maud Montgomery les encantará mucho leer este libro.

Por cierto, un pequeño detalle en especial: aunque dije que esta recopilación de cuentos no tiene nada que ver con los libros de Anne, hay un cuento en especial que, por lo visto, miss Montgomery había utilizado en uno de los libros de Anne con la única diferencia que los personajes son otros. Así que

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were love stories that ended well, but were very different in their meandering way to true love. They were written between 1899 and 1935 and only one, "The Parting of the Ways" doesn't end with the boy getting the girl. A theme running through several of the stories was that of a woman who thought she wasn't in love with her man, but came to see in different ways, that she actually did love him. Some of the stories carried a theme of random chance that happens to turn out well which I thought was interesting for LMM. I liked "The Finished Story" and "The Garden of Spices" because they were sentimental and heart-warming and "By Grace of Julius Caesar" because it was funny.

[Clarissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a collection of short very sentimental pieces. What L. M. Montgomery does best is write stories with often funny local gossip included in them, and with funny minor characters for comic relief. Unfortunately the short story format doesn't have the space for all the comic scenes. The point of many of the stories was that women should get married even if they don't want to or don't want to be married to the man in question, because that is their lot in life. Too much pious sentimentality.