Maud: Books, Babes, & Barbiturates

An avid gardener, LMM referred to her writing prep as “spade work." Digging around her novels, hauling out the weeds, and nurturing new growth - this was how LM Montgomery created the books we love. We are doing our "spade work". Pouring over her journals, novels and biographies; digging away! And we can't wait to share it all with you!

Enigmatic and brilliant, LM Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, is a literary legend. But she is so much more than her work. In this episode, Maud’s words come back to haunt her as we deconstruct the “biography” Maud left behind in her journals and start digging for the real story.

Is Anne just Maud in disguise? In this episode, we take a look at how the two are the same and how abruptly the similarities end.Maud insists Anne of Green Gables sprang from her imagination, but the parallels between Maud’s life and her red-headed heroine are too close not to examine. Was she inspired by the news of the day? Or by a starlet who was embroiled in a scandalous murder case? In this episode, we look at all the factors that led Maud to Green Gables and what she was up against as she wrote it.

Let’s talk about sex! Under those puffed-sleeves and high collars, Maud was a sensual woman… So get ready! It’s time to meet the babes.It would be impossible for Maud to write as passionately as she did and not feel that same passion herself. In this episode, we delve deep into Maud’s love life like she’s our best girlfriend, learn about her flirtations, her fixations, and her fascinations at a time when the 3 Rs were Reading, Writing, and Repression!

The depths of despair may have been an exaggeration by Anne but Maud felt them keenly. Today Maud might have been a spokesperson for Mental Illness, but then, her depression remained a secret.How did Maud soldier on as she experienced not only her own depression, but mental illness in her family at a time when the stigma was insurmountable? Struggling to maintain outward appearances took its toll on Maud and in this episode we peel back that outer layer to reveal the immense sadness that lay beneath.

Her publisher, LC Page tried to seduce her but Maud would not be taken for a fool. In this episode, we reveal how Maud took her copyright case to the highest court... and won.Anne was published. It was a smash hit. Maud was whisked off to Boston to meet the press, read from her best-selling novel, and be swindled by her publisher. But she wouldn’t let him get away with it. Maud fought for what was hers and made sure she wouldn’t be fooled again.

Why has Maud's work traversed the sea to Japan and beyond? Because her stories transcend the YA genre and appeal to a much broader audience than anyone gave her credit for.Maud inspires people around the world and each year they flock to Prince Edward Island to pay their respects and see where so many of their favourite characters came to life. But Maud’s reach extended far beyond PEI and the genre many tried to box her into. Maud is an icon for her country, writers, and underdogs everywhere.