L.
The island that inspired M. Montgomery and Anne Shirley,
A travel destination you want to visit at least once in your life

"Oh, this island is the most flower-filled place in the world! I've often heard that Prince Edward Island is the prettiest place in the world, so I used to imagine living here, but I never dreamed I'd actually live there.
“It’s a wonderful thing when imagination becomes reality, isn’t it?” - From Anne of Green Gables

L., author of Anne of Green Gables
Prince Edward Island, the birthplace of M. Montgomery and the birthplace of Anne of Green Gables, a novel that captivated readers across Canada and the world! This book explores Prince Edward Island's past and present, exploring L.
M. Montgomery and Anne take us to a place of memories where they dreamed and played to their hearts' content.
And it shows how that landscape took on new life through Montgomery's pen.
Let's delve deep into the strikingly similar lives of Montgomery and Anne, who were passionate about nature and used their boundless imagination to overcome the harsh realities of life.
You will come to understand the author and his work more deeply and love him even more.

“When people ask me if Anne was a real person, I always say no, but every time I do, I feel an uncomfortable feeling like I’m lying, and I often hesitate to answer, knowingly or unknowingly.
From the very first moment I created Anne, she has always seemed real to me, so to say that Anne exists only in the realm of imagination feels like an assault on her existence.
Anne seems like a real living person.
Although I haven't met Anne yet, I believe I will someday.
Perhaps at dusk, when I am strolling along a lover's path, or on a moonlit birch avenue, or perhaps when I suddenly look up, I will find Anne by my side, whether a girl or a lady.
When that time comes, I won't be surprised at all.
“Because I always believed that Anne was alive ‘somewhere.’”

The most meaningful 'somewhere' for readers of Anne of Green Gables is inside Montgomery.
Maud Montgomery, like Anne Shirley, placed great value on imagination.
Like Anne, she also emphasized the beauty of the world, always seeing that beauty and at the same time wanting to create a more beautiful world.
Perhaps the most important thing these two characters have in common is that they both find deep solace and spiritual nourishment in nature.
From the farms and forests to the flowers and fields, the history and people of the village, Montgomery and Anne's deep affection for Prince Edward Island deeply engraved the island's landscape in the hearts of readers.

--- p.29~30

For Montgomery and Anne, nature was a source of beauty and wonder, and a spiritual space.
Anne responds to Marilla, who tells her to pray every night:
“When I really want to pray, I will go out into a wide open field or a deep, deep forest by myself and look up at the sky.
I will look up at the endless, blue, beautiful blue sky above.
Then you will be able to just feel the prayer.” Montgomery echoed this sentiment in his diary.

“I have a different ideal Sunday scene that I dream of.
However, I am too timid to make that wish a reality and am just drifting along with the flow of convention.
… … On Sunday mornings, I want to escape my daily routine and go deep into the heart of the forest.
I want to sit alone in a bracken grove, spending time with only the trees and the wind echoing like a hymn along the dark, mossy forest path.
“I can stay alone in the forest for hours if nature and my soul are together.”
--- p.52~55


Maud and Anne's imagination often led to unintended consequences, but more often than not, it saved the girls from the banality and disappointment of everyday life.
When my imagination ran wild, I was able to think positively even in negative situations.
One day, when all the adults are out of the house, Diana's younger sister, Minnie May, begins to have trouble breathing due to severe laryngitis, so Diana runs to Green Gables to ask for help.
Matthew hurries to get the doctor in a carriage, while Anne and Diana run to Minnie May.
Anne was genuinely worried about Mini May, but at the same time, she was briefly intoxicated by the romance of the moment.
Montgomery described this situation in very eloquent sentences.


“The night air was very clear and cold.
On the ground there were only ebony-black shadows and silvery hills covered with snow, and above the quiet fields the stars shone brightly.
… … How thrilling it is to run through this mysterious and beautiful landscape with a close friend whom I have been keeping a distance from for so long.”
--- p.121~122

During the winter, my grandmother did not heat the upstairs floor, so every year from fall to spring, the whole family had to live downstairs.
When spring finally arrived and the weather began to warm up, Montgomery was able to return to his room upstairs.
The seasons had such a direct and intense effect on Montgomery's emotions that she would often oscillate "between happiness and unhappiness" with the changing seasons.
The mild spring days were a happy time for Montgomery, when she could go out into the garden and spend time in her room upstairs.
“When I wasn’t out in the garden, I spent most of my time upstairs in my room.” Montgomery was slowly making her way to fame through the creative and complementary pursuits of gardening and writing.

“Oh, how happy I was this summer thanks to the garden! I was completely absorbed in the flowers.
Dozens of roses were in full bloom, so beautifully.
What a bunch of guys! This year, for the first time ever, my rose bushes have doubled in size and burst into bloom, bursting with the sweetness they've been saving for the past three years.
I have a vase full of roses on the table in front of me.
Behind, vases are filled with lovely sweet peas, yellow poppies, and fragrant lotuses that resemble the breath of flame.
Ah, what a wise hand of God it was that breathed life into the garden.
--- p.161~162

Encouraged by the payment, Montgomery began writing and submitting articles.
After completing her studies at Halifax Women's College, she spent two years teaching children at the school, writing dozens of novels, most of which appeared in Sunday school publications or children's periodicals.
Montgomery included a diary he wrote during that period in his autobiography.

“I wrote diligently all summer.
Even in such a hot weather, I was afraid that my bones would melt and my brain would burn out from all the hard work I put into writing novels and poems.
But I really love my job! I love weaving stories, sitting by my window, spreading my wings and crafting my soaring fantasies into poetry.”

Montgomery's early years, devoted to writing, not only led her to the landscapes and literature she would rely on throughout her life, but also fostered in her a strong will and discipline to write even in harsh circumstances beyond her control.
--- p.239


The following spring, the writing found next to Montgomery's body, which had overdosed on drugs, became the last page of her diary.

“I’m going crazy like I’m under a spell.
I can't think of anything to do to break that spell.
I hope God forgives me, and I hope everyone else forgives me, even if they don't understand me.
I'm so tired I can't stand it, but no one knows.
“I made many mistakes, but I lived my life to the fullest, and I can’t believe it has to end like this.” - Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings, a biography of Montgomery by Mary Henry Rubio

“It was not an easy climb,” Montgomery wrote in the final chapter of his autobiography, “but even in the most difficult moments there was a joy and passion that only those who aspire to the heights can feel.”
But I never regained the sense of accomplishment I felt at that time.

--- p.253