Yesterday, we took a look at some of the hardships that author L.M. Montgomery endured during her marriage to minister Ewen Macdonald.  In light of her difficulties, it is interesting to consider the wisdom that Maud acquired when she studied the marriages of others as well.

Because of the precedent Anne and Diana set, the term “kindred spirit” conjures up images of two young female friends who are inseparable, even when separated by distance.  However, the more interaction I have seen between fans of Anne of Green Gables on all of our social media sites – Facebook, Twitter (anneofgreengabl), AnneOfGreenGables.com – the more evidence I see of Anne’s far-ranging effect.

Sara Stanley was famous in Avonlea for her ability to trap audiences in her web of storytelling.  In Season One’s episode, “How the Story Girl Earns Her Name”, Sara’s knack for words and her emotional draw becomes very apparent when she narrates The Little Match Girl during Jasper Dale's magic lantern show.

“What a small big world it is!” – L.M. Montgomery

Considering how widespread Anne of Green Gables has become throughout the last century – now being a staple in the homes of people across the world, from Japan to Scotland to New Mexico – it seems somewhat amusing that Lucy Maud Montgomery should have been surprised when, two years after the publication of Anne, a fan letter from Australia arrived on her doorstep.

Ever wonder what you would say to your favourite book or character if you had the chance?  Would you tell it exactly why you cherish the book or ask the character for advice?  This is exactly the opportunity that the founders of “The Dead Letter Office” are giving their readers.

To be able to write so passionately about a subject, and have the reader believe whole-heartedly in your sincerity, was a great gift of L.M. Montgomery’s.  Nowadays, people sometimes mistake flowery or extreme statements to be a sign of false emotion or exaggeration.  But to Montgomery, nothing could be further from the truth.

Ireland’s famous Blarney Castle is believed to hold a very special power, desired by anyone wising to have a way with words.  All who kiss a special segment of a bluestone set into its battlements are supposed to receive “the gift of the gab” – meaning eloquence of speech, or the power to skillfully flatter someone.  In order to kiss the stone, which was set into one of the castle’s towers in 1446, visitors must lean backwards over the castle’s parapet (with the support of an assistant and two handy rails on either side of the desired kissing spot).

"I wonder if, a hundred years or so after you and I are dead someone will dig up our old letters and if so will they create any furore." - L.M. Montgomery to G. B. MacMillan, 1926

Though she was born nearly one hundred years after Jane Austen, in another country and era, Lucy Maud Montgomery had a lot more in common with the famous Victorian author than you might think.