Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery

Gr 7 Up—This book, based on the early teen years of Lucy Maud Montgomery, opens in 1889, when the "Anne of Green Gables" author is 14. Motherless and with an absent father, Maud lives with her strict maternal grandparents in picturesque Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. Though life at home is full of obligations and duties, Maud finds distraction and excitement with her tight-knit circle of friends. She excels in school and aspires to be a published writer, though her options are severely limited because of her gender. As her grandparents remind her, Maud's goal should be to obtain a suitable husband. The story follows Maud as she reluctantly leaves the island for the newly developing territory of Saskatchewan to live with her father and his new family and then returns to her beloved Cavendish when things sour. The novel ends in 1892, but an addendum provides a summary of Maud's later years. Fishbane's admiration for Montgomery is apparent throughout, and her writing is reminiscent of the author's. The third-person narrative is filled with vivid descriptions of the natural beauty of the island and the untamed yet scenic Saskatchewan. Secondary characters are fully drawn and their interactions detailed and rich. Fishbane effectively evokes Maud's loneliness at having no true place to call home, despite her rather large extended family. Notwithstanding a cluttered start—too many characters are introduced at once, and a "cast of characters" at the outset is daunting—the tale quickly finds its footing as a compelling and informative tale of a beloved author.