Why L. M. Montgomery Is My Favorite Author

Hello everyone! It’s Amelia, and today I wanted to talk a little bit about my favorite author, L. M. Montgomery, and why I enjoy her books so much. I started reading them when I was around eleven or twelve years old and I’ve read ten of her stories so far. Her books have always renewed a love of beautiful and lovely things in me, and that is something that has made me treasure them so much over the years. 

L. M. Montgomery’s books are classic and timeless, and many people have been just as enchanted as I have by her stories. They have such quality characters and a beautiful writing style that is imaginative and from the heart. It’s very hard for me to explain how much her books have come to mean to me over the years; it’s like I haven’t just read them, but lived them as they continued to influence me along the way. 

The main thing that her stories remind me of is a love of beauty and simple living. When I read one of her books, I am reminded to soak in all of God’s beautiful creation and find the beautiful things in my own, little world. Her stories make me want to go outside and experience every beautiful season to its fullest, and to never take a single sunset for granted. Her writing often makes me wish I could jump right into the page and experience these extraordinary moments, but they also remind me just how much beauty can be found in each and every moment of our own lives. 

Her books focus a lot on beauty and delight, but they don’t shy away from grief, either. Especially in her Emily series, grief and loneliness are very much a part of the story, and, in Emily’s character, I found someone I personally could relate to so fully, as she struggled with loneliness, a lost sense of purpose, and a solace in her writing. 

Lucy Maud Montgomery was raised by her grandparents, and spent much of her childhood alone. Because of this, she had a strong imagination. She based her writing off of her own life, making it so very personal, believable, and relatable. As I’ve learned a bit about her life, I see how her personality is very much alive in two of her protagonists, Anne and Emily, which makes them come so fully to life. 

What I love most about L. M. Montgomery’s writing is that it is so full of life and beauty that still sprinkles in aching moments of grief, making her stories relatable, yet still hopeful. When I finish one of her books, I’m left with inspiration, with a feeling of being understood and not alone, with a love for beauty, and a desire to explore and enjoy every inch of what God gave us on earth. Her books are some of the few that are held most dear to me, and my life wouldn’t be as full of beauty and lovely moments without them.

While that is what I love most about her writing, I wanted to share a few smaller things as well: 

The places

Almost everything in her books gets a new name. As an example, Anne renames Barry’s Pond to The Lake of Shining Waters in Anne of Green Gables. I love that her characters are always renaming things and making them their own, giving them a new spark of beauty and imagination. It always makes me want to live in this way, by looking at something everyone else sees as ordinary, and making it something special all on its own.

The Characters 

L. M. Montgomery has a way of making her characters come to life, and she writes them so well. You get to know her characters like they’re living and real; it feels like the author knew her characters so deeply, and she effortlessly lets you know them, too. Because her characters feel so real, her stories come to life in a whole new way. 

The Writing

Her writing style is so unique and beautiful. As I can’t really describe it, I thought I would share some samples:

“It was November–the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate wind-songs in the pines. Anne roamed through the pineland alleys in the park and, as she said, let that great sweeping wind blow the fogs out of her soul.”

― L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

“I know that into everybody’s life must come some days of depression and discouragement when all things in life seem to lose savour. The sunniest day has its clouds; but one must not forget that the sun is there all the time.”

― L. M. Montgomery, Emily’s Quest

“It had always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty. Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside– but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it and then it was as if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond– only a glimpse– and heard a note of unearthly music.”

― L.M. Montgomery, Emily of New Moon

This concludes my slight ramble of why I love L. M. Montgomery’s books so much. 🙂 I’m not very good at putting it into words, so if you haven’t read a book by her yet, I would highly recommend you try one so you can see for yourself! If you couldn’t tell by this post, I very much adore her writing and can’t recommend it enough. Have you read any books by L. M. Montgomery? I’d love to hear your thoughts! What’s your favorite book by her? I think mine will always be Anne of Avonlea, but Emily’s Quest is a very close second. 

Thanks for reading!

-Amelia