Lucy Maude Montgomery

A black and white photograph of a person wearing a hat and eyeglasses, seated with an embroidered dress or blouse, and an autograph reading "L. M. Montgomery."

The voice of Prince Edward Island, known around the world

No other writer is more closely associated with Atlantic Canada – or more beloved – than Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874 – 1942), the creator of Anne of Green Gables. Her stories of life in Prince Edward Island have enchanted generations of readers and helped define the region in the imagination of readers across the globe.

Born in New London, PEI, Montgomery lost her mother before the age of two and was raised by her maternal grandparents. From early childhood, she had a deep belief in her own creative destiny. She trained as a teacher in Charlottetown and later studied literature at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Between 1901 and 1902, she worked briefly in Halifax as a proofreader for the Morning Chronicle and the Daily Echo.

In 1908, she published her first novel, Anne of Green Gables. It was an instant sensation – selling more than 19,000 copies in its first five months. Reprinted ten times in its first year, the book earned praise from literary figures such as Bliss Carman and Mark Twain. While many fans identified Montgomery with Anne, the author herself felt closer in temperament to Emily of New Moon, written in 1923.

Montgomery’s personal life was often more complicated than her fiction. After several early suitors, she married Rev. Ewan Macdonald in 1911. They lived in Leaskdale, Ontario, for fifteen years before moving to Norval and eventually settling in Toronto. She died in 1942, and her body was returned to Prince Edward Island for burial in Cavendish.

Her legacy lives on – not just in her books, but in stamps, coins, national historic designations, and in the generations of readers who still find inspiration in Anne’s spirit, imagination, and resilience.

Green Gables House on Prince Edward Island

Lucy Maud Montgomery – At a Glance

• Born: November 30, 1874, New London, Prince Edward Island

• Education: Prince of Wales College (Charlottetown); Dalhousie University (Halifax)

• First publication: Anne of Green Gables (1908)

• Notable works: Anne series; Emily of New Moon; over 20 novels and 500 short stories

• Marriage: Rev. Ewan Macdonald (1911)

• Died: April 24, 1942, Toronto; buried in Cavendish, PEI

Honours:

• Officer of the Order of the British Empire – 1935

• Designated a National Historic Person – 1943

• Leaskdale Manse and Cavendish sites designated as National Historic Sites

• Commemorative stamps (1975, 2008)

• Google Doodle (2015, in 12 countries)

• $1 commemorative coin (2024, for her 150th birthday)

References:

McIntosh, A., & Devereux, C. (2024). Lucy Maud Montgomery. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/montgomery-lucy-maud

L.M. Montgomery Institute. University of Prince Edward Island
https://lmmontgomery.ca/about/lmm/her-life

Images:

Portrait: Rubio, Mary Henley, 2003, “MONTGOMERY, LUCY MAUD (Macdonald),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, University of Toronto/Université Laval, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/montgomery_lucy_maud_17E.html