Badass Women Series: Lucy Maud Montgomery, Author of Anne of Green Gables

The Anne of Green Gables Collection

This is a new series about people we can learn from. We start the series off with Lucy Maud Montgomery, who is a famous Canadian author, best known for the Anne of Green Gables series of books. The focus is on people who have died, and many will be unsung heroines and heroes.

I also want to focus on people from different fields and functions, so that many can learn success lessons from them. I’d like to remind you that you can learn lessons from anyone. Even from people in different roles and industries. Lucy Maud Montgomery was a successful writer and author. The ability to clearly communicate your ideas is an important skill. Therefore, many can learn from Montgomery’s life as a writer.

Lucy Maud Montgomery teaches us to be constant learners and to always work on improving our craft. When you experience failure, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, then try again. Success may be just around the corner.

Name: Lucy Maud Montgomery

Birth Date: November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942.

Job Function: Author

Field: Literature

Who Is Lucy Maud Montgomery?

Lucy Maud Montgomery is one of the most famous and enduring Canadian authors. She was not only popular, but a financially successful author. Her mother died when she was only two years old. And her father sent her to live with her grandparents, who were very strict. She had a difficult childhood.

Montgomery was very isolated, sensitive, and imaginative. The young girl found solace and comfort in the literary works of Charles Dickens, Lord Byron, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The authors were her mentors, and digesting their great works gave her a prototype for what good writing should look like. And how it worked.

At a young age, she started to write her own poems and stories, and developed a talent for writing. When she was sixteen, she went to live with her father, who had remarried. Unfortunately, he was very busy and didn’t spend much time with her. And her “wicked” stepmother expected her to be the unpaid maid and nanny.

Fortunately, Lucy Maud Montgomery developed some close friendships, which helped her tremendously. This highlights the importance of having a strong support network.

And in 1890, the same year she went to live with her father and his new family, one of her poems appeared in the Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Daily Patriot. Montgomery continued to work on honing her craft. And in 1907, Anne of Green Gables was accepted, after being previously rejected four times. The book was published in 1908. This shows what can happen when you don’t give up.

The book was an immediate success. Montgomery wrote the sequel, Anne of Avonlea, then subsequently, six more books in the series. In the 1920s, Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote the autobiographical, Emily of New Moon. This heroine was almost as popular as Anne.

What Did She Accomplish?

Lucy Maud Montgomery had a distinguished literary career, publishing twenty novels, more than 530 short stories, 500 poems, 30 essays and approximately 5,000 pages of personal journals. Her stories were translated into over 20 languages.  Looking at her body of work, we see a very successful woman and author. Yet, she didn’t think that she wrote the “great book.”

Why are we so tough on ourselves? Her books have stood the test of time.

Why Is She a Badass Woman?

When you read about her life – this profile consists of snapshots – you’ll discover she didn’t have it easy. Yet she managed to become a successful writer. Lucy Maud Montgomery was embroiled in a lawsuit with her publisher from 1920 to 1929. She stuck with it and finally won.

Montgomery drew on her experiences and what she knew to create endearing characters. The red-headed, orphaned Anne is one of the most iconic figures in Canadian literature. This character, who Lucy Maud Montgomery created, has charmed generations of readers across the globe. Anne has been the subject of many films, television mini-series, and animated cartoons.

If you’re a writer, imagine what it would be like to create a character that lives on. Lucy Maud Montgomery also created Emily of the New Moon, which was almost as popular as Anne of Green Gables.

Her stories placed Prince Edward Island on the world map. Many have traveled from afar just to see where the stories were set. Lucy Maud Montgomery is a woman who had an impact.

What Can You Learn from Her?

• Read great literary works.
• When you get knocked down, dust yourself off, and rise again.
• Don’t give up, success could be just around the corner.
• When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Her book, Anne of Green Gables was rejected four times before it was finally accepted.
• Stand up for what you believe in. She fought the expensive lawsuit with her publisher and finally won.
• Master your craft. Create constantly. Do the hard work.

Her Steps to Success

1. Consistency pays.
2. Lucy Maud Montgomery read the works of great writers.
3. She kept on writing to hone her craft.
4. Kept on producing and creating her art form.
5. Resubmitted work until it was accepted.
6. When she attained professional success, she continued to show up and do the work.
7. She created and left behind a substantive body of work.

Merits and Awards Lucy Maud Montgomery Received

1. In 1923, she became the first Canadian woman to be named a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in England.
2. Asked to meet the visiting Prince of Wales (the future Edward VIII) and the British prime minister an Anne of Green Gables fan, Stanley Baldwin. This happened in August 1927.
3. Received the Order of the British Empire in 1935.
4. In 1936, the Canadian government created a national park on Prince Edward Island in and around Cavendish. Montgomery's books put the area on the world map.

Action Steps to Take

• Research three people who have achieved what you're trying to achieve.
• Study their lives.
• Tip: Gather the information from a commercial database. You can access several through your public library's portal.

The Anne of Green Gables CollectionEmily Of New Moon: Complete Series

Source Referenced

1. “Lucy Maud Montgomery.” Gale Canada Online Collection, Gale, 2007. Gale In Context: Canada, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2181200012/CIC?u=tplmain&sid=CIC&xid=5a896da3. Accessed 31 Dec. 2020.
2. “Lucy Maud Montgomery.” Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Biography, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631004631/BIC?u=tplmain&sid=BIC&xid=dc962f7d. Accessed 31 Dec. 2020.
3. Britannica Library Reference Center.

If someone clicks on a link and buys something from Amazon, the company will pay me a small commission.

Image of Lucy Maud Montgomery Credit: Wikipedia