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WORK TITLE: Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://melaniefishbane.com/
CITY: Toronto
STATE: ON
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/270605/melanie-fishbane * https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniefishbane/?ppe=1 * https://liberalarts.humber.ca/programs/professional-writing-and-communications/faculty.html * http://www.npr.org/2017/04/26/523587046/maud-doesnt-quite-live-up-to-its-heroines-example
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Children: a daughter.
EDUCATION:York University, B.A., 1997; Concordia University, M.A., 2003; attended Transformational Arts College, 2006-08; Vermont College of Fine Arts, M.F.A., 2013.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, educator, and social media consultant. Humber College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, professor of English, 2014-; CANSCAIP, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, social media coordinator, 2015-; freelance social media consultant, 2015-.
WRITINGS
Contributor to books, including Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years, 1911–1942, McGill-Queens University Press, 2015. Contributor of articles and book reviews to periodicals, including Canadian Children’s Book News, Humber Literary Review, NonBinary Review, and Quill and Qwire. Contributor to websites, including Cinefilles.
SIDELIGHTS
Melanie J. Fishbane worked in children’s publishing for seventeen years. She lectures worldwide on children’s literature and is especially interested in the works of L.M. Montgomery, the Canadian author of Anne of Green Gables, which Fishbane first read in the sixth grade. Fishbane wrote often from a very young age onward and also started to blog. Eventually she enrolled in a writing program in Banff, Canada, and then returned to college to earn a master’s degree in writing for children and young adults.
In her first young adult (YA) novel, Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery, Fishbane provides a fictional account of Montgomery’s teenage years, which were difficult, especially for a young girl in the late 1800s who had aspirations for a career. “There’s a tremendous responsibility to fictionalize someone whom people have an idea about,” Fishbane noted in an interview with Karen Krossing for the Karen Krossing website, adding: “Montgomery left so many parts of herself behind, but it didn’t tell the full picture.” Fishbane went on in the interview to note that Montgomery’s Canadian readers cherished Montgomery and told Krossing that she kept in mind that Montgomery’s family would likely read the novel as well, adding: “I was compassionate about this, but I also knew I had to be true to my character and her story.”
As for the research for the novel, Fishbane drew from Montgomery’s papers at the Guelph Archives, as well as reading Montgomery’s journal and the letters she wrote to her cousin when she was growing up. “And, of course, I read her fiction,” Fishbane told Krossing in her interview, adding: “I particularly looked at the Emily books because they are Maud’s portrait of a young writer.” Fishbane also interviewed members of Montgomery’s family and told Krossing that her writing a number of earlier papers about Montgomery’s teenage stage as a writer also helped her flesh out the story. Some of the papers revolved around what Fishbane called “the Perfect Man Archetype” that is often presented in YA literature, telling Krossing: “Here I explored the connection between Maud’s fictional characters and those in her real life.”
In the novel, Lucy Maud Montgomery, known as Maud to her friends, lives on Prince Edward Island with her grandparents following her mother’s death. She idolizes the writer Louisa May Alcott and wants to go to college to become a writer herself. Maud’s grandfather, however, does not believe women should go to college, which he views as a waste of money. Her grandfather’s views about educating women were not uncommon in the late 1900s.
Meanwhile, Maud is generally feeling that she is unloved and unwanted since her mother died and her father is out west. Nevertheless, she does gather solace from her writings and her friends. In addition, Maud’s teacher also believes in Maud’s dream of becoming a writer. Still, both her Presbyterian grandparents are conservative, leading Maud to believe that they would never approve of Nate, her good friend in school. Nate is perhaps the most intelligent boy in the school, but he comes from a Baptist family. “The pace of nineteenth-century rural Canadian life can seem slow; teens may be alternately incredulous or charmed by the techniques of old-fashioned flirtation,” wrote Katherine Noone in Voice of Youth Advocates.
Despite the fact that she knows her grandparents would not approve of Nate, Maud sneaks walking home with him after school. Eventually, Maud’s grandparents learn about Maud’s friendship with Nate and send her off for a year to live with her father, who has since remarried, in Saskatchewan. “Fishbane lovingly captures the small-town charm of Maud’s Prince Edward Island home and the rugged frontier of Saskatchewan,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor. National Public Radio website contributor Caitlyn Paxson, remarked: “This is the period in Montgomery’s life where she moved from writing in her journal to writing published works, and Maud becomes much more intriguing as a character as we see her discovering a new place and all the new people in it. It is easy to feel Maud’s isolation, her crushed hopes, and her excitement as she forms new bonds.”
Maud and her stepmother do not have a good relationship. Later Maud learns that her stepmother, who is pregnant, is making plans for Maud that will threaten Maud’s dreams of college and becoming a writer. Still, Maud makes new friends, including a a potential romantic relationship, and manages to get her first piece of writing published. Although Fishbane ends Maud’s story in 1892, she includes an addendum that summarizes the rest of of Maud’s life.
“Fishbane’s admiration for Montgomery is apparent throughout, and her writing is reminiscent of the author’s,” wrote Melissa Kazan in School Library Journal. She went on to commend Fishbane’s development of secondary characters, noting that “their interactions [are] detailed and rich.” Resource Links contributor Victoria Pennell remarked: “Fishbane has written quite an interesting story which will appeal to readers of the ‘Anne’ stories. They will see resemblances to various characters in Montgomery’s books coming through some of the characters” in Maud.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Bookwatch, May 1, 2017, review of Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery.
Internet Bookwatch, May, 2017, review of Maud.
Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2017, review of Maud.
Publishers Weekly, February 13, 2017, review of Maud, p. 77.
Resource Links, April, 2017, Victoria Pennell, review of Maud, p. 29.
School Library Journal, April, 2017, Melissa Kazan, review of Maud, p. 146.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2017, Katherine Noone, review of Maud, p. 64.
ONLINE
Karen Krossing Website, http://karenkrossing.com/ (March 1, 2017), Karen Krossing, “Interview with Debut Author Melanie Fishbane.”
Melanie Fishbane LinkedIn Page, https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniefishbane (November 4, 2017).
Melanie Fishbane Website, http://melaniefishbane.com (November 4, 2017).
National Public Radio Website, http://www.npr.org/ (April 26, 2017), Caitlyn Paxson, review of Maud.
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences–Humber College Website, https://liberalarts.humber.ca/ (November 4, 2017), author profile.*
Melanie Fishbane holds an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and an M.A. in History from Concordia University. With over seventeen years’ experience in children's publishing, she lectures internationally on children's literature and L.M. Montgomery, whom she has been obsessed with since she first read Anne of Green Gables in Grade Six.
A freelance writer and social media consultant, Melanie teaches Digital Writing, English, and General Arts and Sciences at Humber College. Melanie also loves writing essays and her first one, "My Pen Shall Heal, Not Hurt: Writing as Therapy in L.M. Montgomery's Rilla of Ingleside and The Blythes Are Quoted," is included in L.M. Montgomery's Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years 1911-1942.
Melanie lives in Toronto with her partner and their very entertaining cat, Merlin. Her first YA novel,MAUD, will be published in May 2017.
Melanie Fishbane
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Writer, Social Media Consultant, Professor of English Humber College
Freelance, Social Media Consultant Vermont College of Fine Arts
Toronto, Canada Area 500+ 500+ connections
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Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery is now available through Penguin Teen, Penguin Random House of Canada.
With over seventeen years in book retailing I hold a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and Masters of Arts in History focusing on children's literature from Concordia University. I have four years teaching post-secondary school, two at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario.
Freelance Social Media Strategiest for non-profit and academic sectors, such as L.M. Montgomery Institute.
The combination of my editorial skills and exceptional knowledge of children's and teens book market gives me keen insight into what makes a manuscript work. While spending many years teaching in after-school kids' programs and day camps, I have also taught English, History, and Creative Writing. I write book reviews for industry publications such as, The Quill & Quire and Canadian Children's Book News and have lectured on L.M. Montgomery in Ontario and Prince Edward Island.
Specialties: Writing, Creative Writing, Editorial,Marketing, Kids' Books, Children's Literature, Teen Literature, Historical Kids Fiction, Modernist Literature,Women's History, Feminist Theory, Literary Theory, L.M. Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, YA Lit, Online Merchandising, Online Marketing, Blogging, Social Networking/Marketing, copy-writing, business writing, freelance writing, book reviews, and recommendations. See less See less of Melanie’s summary
Experience
Freelance, Social Media Consultant
Social Media Consultant, Web Coordinator
Company NameFreelance, Social Media Consultant
Dates EmployedApr 2015 – Present Employment Duration2 yrs 7 mos
LocationToronto, Ontario
Coordinate and execute social media strategies, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WordPress Blogging, on a short-term basis for non-profit and academic companies that require my services.
• January 2016 to Present: Professional Writing and Communications Diploma, Humber College
• May 1 - 10, 2015: National Reading Campaign: Reading Town PEI
• April 2015 - Present: L.M. Montgomery Institute Web Coordinator
Humber College
Professor of English
Company NameHumber College
Dates EmployedSep 2014 – Present Employment Duration3 yrs 2 mos
LocationEtobicoke, Ontario
• Writing in the Digital Age 1 Foundation: PWRT 5002
• Modern Literature: GLIT 200
• College Reading and Writing Skills: WRIT 100
• Professional Writing Skills: WRIT 200, WRIT 202
• Lesson plan incorporating a variety of pedagogical techniques, such as group work and writing exercises.
• Grade essays, tests, quizzes and final exams.
• Work closely with students to develop strategies to help them succeed.
• Employ up-to-date smart classroom strategies in lectures using Power Point, video, and Blackboard.
• Co-developing curriculum for a Professional Writing and Communications Graduate Certificate.
• Designed and developed course outline and curriculum for Writing for the Digital Age: Foundation course.
• Sat on Exam Essay Committee to help determine the reading for WRIT 100 exam
National Reading Campaign
Co-ordinator, Canadian Children's Book Review project
Company NameNational Reading Campaign
Dates EmployedJun 2013 – Mar 2017 Employment Duration3 yrs 10 mos
LocationToronto, Canada Area
* Work with the Executive Director to hire reviewers to write children's book reviews for a period of one year.
* Work with the Executive Director to develop the editorial voice of the CCBR project.
* Initiate contact and organize with Canadian publishers review copies.
* Manage the reviewing team, including editorial.
* Organize delivery and publication dates for the blog.
Indigo Books and Music Inc.
Online Marketing, Merchandiser and Editor
Company NameIndigo Books and Music Inc.
Dates EmployedJan 2006 – Apr 2014 Employment Duration8 yrs 4 mos
LocationToronto Ontario
•Manage and implement merchandising and marketing for the Kids and Teen Home Pages for chapters.indigo.ca
•Working with Omniture, Hootsuite and other social media programs, provide reporting and sales analysis to the executive team.
• Blog for the IndigoKids Blog and Indigo Teens Blog
• Acting Editor for the Indigo Corporate Blog
• Using Proworkflow, copywrite and manage banner advertisements with the Studio department.
•Coordinate with Procurement, Supply Chain, and Master Data to develop cohesiveness between store and online marketing and merchandising efforts.
• Provide copy for the Indigo Teen Reads Awards Website and participated in the event.
• Create and market speciality book lists on Indigo Community
• Develop strategies and copy to the E-mail marketing team to promote kids and teen authors including, J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Jeff Kinney and Cassandra Clare.
• Led the development of the first Canadian Stephenie Meyer Central fan resource website generating 57,000 page views in the first year.
• Manage the development of a specialty store for the educational market, The Learning Lab generating almost half a million dollars in revenue in the first five months.
• Actively connect with book publishers to identify up-coming trends, and develop promotional opportunities, such as exclusive author Q&As, author/series and exclusive online shops.
• Provide vendors feedback on book covers and product initiatives.
• Using SEO, promote lead Kids and Teen book shops including, Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games Shop, Stephenie Meyer's The Twilight Shop, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Store and Jeff Kinney's The Wimpy Kid Shop.
George Brown College
Professor of English
Company NameGeorge Brown College
Dates Employed2014 – 2014 Employment Durationless than a year
LocationToronto, Canada Area
• Business Communications: COMM 1047
• College English: COMM 1007
• Plan and deliver lectures incorporating a variety of pedagogical techniques.
• Grade essays, tests, quizzes and final exams.
• Consulting with students on email and through office hours.
• Employing up-to-date smart classroom strategies in lectures using Power Point, video, and Blackboard.
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Graduate Assistant Writing for Children and Young Adults Program
Company NameVermont College of Fine Arts
Dates EmployedJul 2013 – Jul 2013 Employment Duration1 mo
LocationMontpelier, Vermont
* Two-week position during the residency for VCFA's Writing for Children and Young Adult Program.
* Worked with the other GAs to facilitate the general orientation for first semester students.
* Counselled first semesters and helped others as needed.
* Organized the recording of all graduate and faculty lectures.
* Manuscript critiques for first semester students.
* Assisted VCFA faculty and administration as needed.
Indigo Books and Music Inc.
Senior Analyst/Inventory Analyst Kids
Company NameIndigo Books and Music Inc.
Dates EmployedSep 2004 – Aug 2006 Employment Duration2 yrs
• Work with Category Manager and Directors, and Inventory Analysts to strategize improvements to the current inventory and structure of the kids and teens departments.
• Analyze forecast and replenishment parameters for articles in kids and teen departments.
• Manage the replenishment parameters before, during and after Christmas and March Break which encouraged a consistent 90-95% in-stock rate.
• Manage the replenishment of The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Harry Potter: Half Blood Prince in conjunction with the DC and the vendors to maintain 95% in-stock.
• Coordinate training and development with Procurement, Master Data, Service Desk and Retail to better improve how these teams respond to the in-house troubleshooting system – HEAT.
•Train new Inventory Analysts.
•Work with vendors to acquire correct stock for stores.
Indigo Books and Music Inc.
Replenishment/Sales Floor Manager Chapters/ Store Manager Coles
Company NameIndigo Books and Music Inc.
Dates EmployedMay 1999 – Sep 2004 Employment Duration5 yrs 5 mos
•Organize and implement new merchandising initiatives that increased the store’s overall profitability.
•Complete and maintain basic operational standards including lost prevention, customer service techniques, and basic cash procedures.
•Hired, evaluated, and trained staff in bookselling, receiving and returns procedures as per Indigo standards.
• Improve receiving area performance by analyzing shipment arrival times, volume staff received per hour and by using incentives, such as contests, to increase productivity.
• Analyze and organize the specific needs in each book department with the goal of two turns a year.
• Team-Lead for Coles Store Managers in Quebec
• Co-organized training sessions for Coles Managers.
Concordia University
Graduate/Teaching Assistant
Company NameConcordia University
Dates EmployedSep 1998 – Dec 2000 Employment Duration2 yrs 4 mos
LocationMontreal, Canada Area
•Organized lesson plans, reading lists and teaching tutorials for a first year European history course which discussed western history from Ancient Rome to the French Revolution.
•Graded European, African and Middle Eastern history papers for first year students
Lichtmans's New and Books
Bookseller/Magazine Manager/Assistant Store Manager
Company NameLichtmans's New and Books
Dates Employed1993 – 1998 Employment Duration5 yrs
•Organize receiving and returns of books, newspapers and magazines
•Merchandize and shelve books, magazines and newspapers.
•Responsible for daily store operations including replenishment, opening and closing and bank deposits.
• Bought and replenished front and back list titles.
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Education
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Degree NameMasters of Fine Arts Field Of StudyWriting for Children and Young Adults
Dates attended or expected graduation 2011 – 2013
Activities and Societies: Quite active in the various social gatherings at the college.
The #1 low residency graduate level writing program in North America, I worked with Sharon Darrow, Mary Quattlebaum, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Sarah Ellis. Wrote my critical thesis on the Perfect Man Archetype, showing a link from Jane Austen to modern YA writers, and completed my creative thesis, a YA fiction novel.
I also helped facilitate our workshop proceedings, provided a graduate lecture on the Perfect Man Archetype, and gave a graduate reading to my peers.
Transformational Arts College
Transformational Arts College
Degree NameSpiritual Director Field Of StudySpiritual Direction
Dates attended or expected graduation 2007 – 2008
Activities and Societies: Was asked to write and organize the end of the year celebration.
Studied various western religious traditions including, but not limited to, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism. Focus of study also included a comprehensive section on Death and Dying and Conscious Living.
Transformational Arts College
Transformational Arts College
Degree NameHolistic Practitioner
Dates attended or expected graduation 2006 – 2008
A two-year part-time alternative healing program that focused on alternative healing modalities.
Concordia University
Concordia University
Degree NameM.A Field Of StudyHistory
Dates attended or expected graduation 1998 – 2003
Activities and Societies: Graduate History Student's Association
Masters Thesis Topic:
Spiritual Woman Warrior: The Construction of Joan of Arc in Contemporary Children's Literature.
York University
York University
Degree NameBA; Honours Field Of StudyEnglish and History
Dates attended or expected graduation 1992 – 1997
Activities and Societies: York Women's Centre: Library Co-ordinator
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Volunteer Experience
CANSCAIP
Social Media Coordinator
Company NameCANSCAIP
Dates volunteeredFeb 2015 – Present Volunteer duration2 yrs 9 mos
Cause Arts and Culture
Melanie FishbaneOn Tour
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MELANIE J. FISHBANE holds an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and an M.A. in History from Concordia University. With over seventeen years’ experience in children’s publishing, she lectures internationally on children’s literature and L.M. Montgomery, whom she has been obsessed with since she first read Anne of Green Gables in Grade Six. Melanie teaches English at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario and is one of the contributor in the essay collection, L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years 1911-1942. Melanie lives in Toronto with her partner and their cat, Merlin. Maud is her first novel. You can follow Melanie on Twitter @MelanieFishbane and like her on Facebook.
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About Mel
Maud book cover
Maud cover
Name: Melanie J. Fishbane
My book: My first YA novel, MAUD, about the teen years of L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, is now available through Penguin Teen, an imprint of Penguin Random House of Canada. Its Book Birthday was on April 25, 2017.
You can buy MAUD through your local independent bookstore, as well as amazon.ca and amazon.com, indigo.ca, or add it to your “Want to Read List” on Goodreads.
Contact me here.
The short bio: MELANIE J. FISHBANE holds an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and an M.A. in History from Concordia University. With over seventeen years’ experience in children’s publishing, she lectures internationally on children’s literature and L.M. Montgomery, who she has been obsessed with since she first read Anne of Green Gables in Grade Six. A freelance writer and social media consultant, Melanie teaches English at Humber College. Melanie also loves writing essays and her first one, “My Pen Shall Heal, Not Hurt”: Writing as Therapy in L.M. Montgomery’s Rilla of Ingleside and The Blythes Are Quoted,” is included in L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years 1911-1942. Melanie lives in Toronto with her partner and their very entertaining cat, Merlin. MAUD is her first novel. You can follow Melanie on Twitter @MelanieFishbane and like her on Facebook.
My Life as Mel
IMG_2268First thing you should probably know about me is that I’m pretty much a teenager in the body of an adult. Sure, I “adult” and do adult things like pay rent, make sure that my cat, Merlin, eats, and vote (which is the best), but much of what I write, read and even watch is from the point of view of a teen. I think it is because that is when I discovered a lot of things for the first time, fell in love, considered big ideas, and made decisions about the person I wished to be.
And I’m not finished yet.
meat12This is me at ten. Look at those clips! Those adorable puffed white sleeves (so Anne I know!) and I think it was one of the few times I was in pink. (I later had a more blue phase and there was an unfortunate florescent yellow cowl neck sweater that should probably be forgotten, but it is too bright.)
I played accordion because we couldn’t afford a piano (which is what I wanted to really play). At eleven I got my dream and dropped the accordion for the piano. My apologies to accordions and accordion players everywhere as I didn’t understand the punk, folk fusion that could emerge from such an instrument. I was also obsessed with Little House on the Prairie (TV show and books), Judy Blume, listened to The Police and Pat Benatar (I had a really cool babysitter), and enjoyed getting my Barbie dolls into all sorts of drama. You’ll note from the topics I will discuss, these things haven’t changed.
Screen Shot 2016-08-23 at 2.48.02 PM
At twelve I had made the decision to be a teacher, because many of the women I knew (including my mom) was one. So I babysat, worked at after school kids’ programs and day camps. This is a long lost picture of me from one of the summers I worked on the Music and Drama staff. It is also one of the few photos you will ever find of me actually wearing a baseball hat–or any hat for that matter. I’ve slowly learned to embrace hat wear, like a good beret or outlandish sunhat.
Things I was obsessed with during this period included, but were not limited to, the life and work of L.M. Montgomery, women’s history – Canadian and Medieval history, The Mists of Avalon, women’s spirituality, Canadian writers like Jane Urquhart, Margaret Atwood and Leonard Cohen, learning French, the life and work of Laura Ingalls Wilder, women’s music, and all things theatrical and broadway related. All retold in the never-to-be-published journals thaIMG_0355t I’ve kept since I was fourteen.
The rest is adult stuff: university, more university, some school, some more university. I lived in Montreal. I love learning and school so much, it is probably also why I write teen books, because then I can write about being in school.
I wrote all of the time, working mostly on essay writing and some very bad poetry, a few short stories, and other things which has since been burned away. This is me working on M.A. #1 in history at my grandfather’s place in Florida. My parents thought I needed a rest. Clearly, I had other thoughts (I was on deadline after all!) and brought a borrowed laptop, my notes, and books with me.
Still, I didn’t think that I could ever be the kind of writer I admired, that there were better storytellers (like my brother) out there. I still think this, but I’ve learned to (sometimes) silence that “Negative Mely” and tell her to go take a really long swim in a lake and leave me be, please.
Other adult things that were super fun and where I learned a lot: I worked in publishing for over seventeen years, read all of the best kids and teen books, got to sit on a number of book juries, meet writers from all over the world, and blog about them.
Obsessions during this period included: spirituality and religion, alternative healing therapies, women’s health, Gilmore Girls, Buffy, writing, music, the life and works of L.M. Montgomery and Laura Ingalls Wilder.
And wrote.
Then, one day I saw this ad for the Banff Writing in Style program and all that was needed was 25 pages of writing. I had a lot of bad writing, but I had started on this project and decided to try. If I was going to take myself seriously as a writer, then I needed to risk. If I didn’t get in, then I knew. It was the first time I really showed any of my fiction to anyone. I got in and it changed everything.
Then…more school…more adulting…this time, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Writing for Children and Young Adults. And then more of everything changed because I allowed more of the things that I had always been obsessed interested in to fuel my writing. I wrote about history, teen lit, Laura Ingalls Wilder and L.M. Montgomery. I learned that I would never be like my favourite writers because those were their stories. I had my own to tell. What’s more that my story was worthy of telling. I also learned how much I didn’t know about writing (and still don’t know) and that there will always be more opportunities to learn, which means more school. Yay for that!
Then these wonderful things also happened:
1. I get to write stories.
2. My 12-year-old got her dream of teaching because now I teach English and writing to college students.
IMG_19723. I’m writing essays, too. My first one, “My Pen Shall Heal, Not Hurt”: Writing as Therapy
in L.M. Montgomery’s Rilla of Ingleside and The Blythes Are Quoted,” is included in L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years 1911-1942.
4. I also give lectures on children’s and young adult literature internationally. Here I am giving my grad lecture at VCFA. My favourite thing to talk about is the Perfect Man Archetype in Y.A. literature, L.M. Montgomery and Laura Ingalls Wilder. So that means I get to discuss my favourite literary boyfriends, Almanzo Wilder and Gilbert Blythe ALL OF THE TIME! Swoon!
But … this is just the beginning of what is to come.
Karen Krossing
Interview with Debut Author Melanie Fishbane
March 1, 2017 By Karen Krossing
Back in 2013, I was thrilled to hear that Penguin Canada would release a teen novel based on the life of Anne of Green Gables author L.M. Montgomery. What fun to fictionalize a Canadian icon who’d left us with so many literary treasures! I had perfect faith that the talented Melanie J. Fishbane would bring teenaged Lucy Maud Montgomery to life. Too bad I had to wait four years to enjoy the results.
I’m not known for my patience, but somehow I endured the long years of anticipation. Lucky me – I got my hands on an advanced reader’s copy. Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery will be available for purchase on April 25, 2017.
In Maud, Melanie affectionately reveals Maud’s life from age 14 to 18, including her time as a student in charming Cavendish, PEI, and her year living with her father and difficult stepmother in the frontier town of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Fans of Montgomery’s novels will adore this exploration of her bosom friends, her handsome and teasing suitors, her rigid grandparents, and the challenges she faced in pursuing her dream of becoming an author. But readers don’t need to be familiar with Montgomery’s books to enjoy Melanie’s absorbing prose. Maud is a heartwarming story by an author who is certainly a kindred spirit of Montgomery’s. You can check out Melanie’s blog or find her on Twitter.
Me: How did it feel to fictionalize a Canadian literary legend? How did you approach that task?
Melanie: There’s a tremendous responsibility to fictionalize someone whom people have an idea about. L.M. Montgomery left so many parts of herself behind, but it didn’t tell the full picture. She also crafted the idea that she’s Anne (or Emily from Emily of New Moon), and that’s how people tend to see her. She’s very precious to her readers, to Canada. I was also aware that her family would be reading the novel. I was compassionate about this, but I also knew I had to be true to my character and her story.
I read Maud’s journals, her autobiography, scrapbooks, and combed through her library at the Guelph Archives. I also read the letters she wrote to her best friend and cousin growing up, Pensie Macneill. And, of course, I read her fiction. I particularly looked at the Emily books because they are Maud’s portrait of a young writer. Some things are written in fiction because they are safer to explore. And then I listened to her. I interviewed Maud’s family, I walked her paths where I could. I travelled to both PEI and Saskatchewan. I embodied her physically and hoped that what emerged was as truthful to my character and her story as it could be.
The other thing I did is write papers. I found that it helped me to figure things out, maybe because of my MA in History. I gave a number of papers about Maud as teen writer, one about Maud’s experience with the “mean girls,” who in the novel are embodied in Clemmie, and a few on what I call “The Perfect Man Archetype” in YA literature. Here I explored the connection between Maud’s fictional characters and those in her real life. This helped me sift through the many questions I had.
Me: I agree that “some things are written in fiction because they are safer to explore.” That’s so true. On another note, as a writer, I felt very connected to Maud’s desire to write and her use of it to understand her world. Can you tell us about your personal connection to Maud as a character in your novel?
Melanie J. Fishbane
(Photo credit: Ayelet Tsabari)
Melanie: Maud came from a family of storytellers, and she wanted to tell her own story. I, too, come from a family of storytellers. My brother, Joel Fishbane, is a playwright and the writer of The Thunder of Giants. On my mom’s side, I have many creative cousins: Beth Dranoff, just got her first book published, Mark of the Moon; Shaina Silver-Bard, is a musician and playwright. And that’s just a few. On my dad’s side, I have a cousin who writes academic works, and one who writes about yoga. So Maud and I both come by it honestly.
On both sides of my family we tell our personal history, too. My Zaida Myer (who I dedicated the novel to) would tell me many stories about growing up in Toronto and being in the army in the Second World War. Right now, I’m soaking up my 94-year-old grandmother’s stories about immigrating to Canada in the 1920s and making a life in Edmonton and then in Toronto. In fact, one of the best compliments I got about Maud was when she told me the Prince Albert sections reminded her of growing up out West.
Maud is connected to her stories through her experience and listening to her family’s stories. She was very clear about this in her autobiography, The Alpine Path, and her journals are full of those stories. I had initially tried to get these into the draft, but it didn’t quite work out that way. But it was definitely a way for me to get into her character and her process. I’m inspired to write because of my family’s stories, and I think it was the same for Maud, too.
Me: You’ve recently completed a MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts – a program that a young Maud would have been thrilled to attend. How did the skills you learned there help you in crafting your novel?
L.M. Montgomery
(Photo credit: L.M. Montgomery Collection, Guelph Archives)
Melanie: It is true that she would have loved to be part of such a rich and vibrant writer community. VCFA taught me … everything. My advisors gave me permission to trust myself, listen to my characters, and honour my process. They also helped me understand that the story comes from revision and that all stories must go through this to find their truth. To listen to the feedback and (at least try) not to take it too personally (which was something I struggled with when I was writing my first MA). I realized in hindsight my advisor then was just trying to make me a better writer. What becomes important is the story, making it the best it can be. I learned plotting techniques, mapping, and the questions one should ask when writing historical fiction. Some of this of course I knew, but my advisors gave me more tools for my toolbox.
Me: I kept comparing Maud to Anne Shirley as I read, and your novel highlights similarities between them. Was one of your goals in writing the book to help readers understand Maud’s own fiction better?
Melanie: Certainly. As I said above, one of the ways I found Maud’s character was to read her fiction. That’s the way her readers discovered her. It was important to me, though, that there was room to breathe. Anne Shirley is her own fictional character that was birthed roughly 15 years after this novel takes place. By that point, Maud had experienced many more things that would have influenced the writing of that book. It was important to find Maud as a teenager and consider how she was separate from Anne Shirley. But I also needed to find the seedlings of the character Maud would one day create.
Me: You’ve mentioned your academic papers about the perfect man archetype in young-adult literature, so let’s talk about Maud’s beau’s in real life and the fictional beaus she created. How does her character Gilbert Blythe relate to Maud’s real-life beaus?
Melanie: Ha! Well, as you say, I’ve written many papers on this. Let’s see if I can do the short-answer version without giving away spoilers. There are two boyfriends featured in Maud, Nate Lockhart and Will Pritchard. Truthfully, it’s difficult for me to distinguish between the fictional Nate and Will and the real ones. Also, I’ve learned about the “real” ones through the lens of Maud’s journals, so I already have a barrier. But, from the sources, I can tell you that Nate was the Baptist minister’s stepson, and they competed often for grades in school. He was also a bit of a romantic and enjoyed poetry; he and Maud had those things in common. Maud and Nate’s relationship was up and down; they fought often, and there were times when they didn’t talk. Maud met Will when she went out West. He was better with the land than with words, but he encouraged her writing. I think he allowed Maud to be herself, as much as she knew how to be. Gilbert Blythe was Anne’s academic rival. He doesn’t always do things right, like Nate, and he has a romantic side – the heart in Anne of Green Gables. As Anne and Gilbert grow older, at least before they get married, Gilbert encourages Anne’s work. He’s the one who tells her to write about Avonlea. He loves Anne for Anne. Nate and Will both loved Maud for who she was.
Nate Lockhart
(Photo credit: The Shining Scroll, L.M. Montgomery Literary Society)
Will Pritchard
(Photo credit: L.M. Montgomery Collection, Guelph Archives)
Me: Will you give us a sneak peek into what you’re writing now?
Melanie: I’m writing another historical fiction. Different period. A young woman who has her consciousness raised about women’s rights because of something that happens to her best friend … and she decides to do something about it.
Me: Sounds intriguing! I look fo
Fishbane, Melanie J.: Maud: A Novel Inspired by
the Life of L.M. Montgomery
Katherine Noone
Voice of Youth Advocates.
40.2 (June 2017): p64.
COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
3Q * 2P * M * J
Fishbane, Melanie J. Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery. Penguin Random House, 2017. 400p.
$17.99. 978-0-14-319125-4.
Fishbane describes her debut novel as historical fiction rather than strict biography. Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery,
however, easily mined her own life for her 1908 debut novel, Anne of Green Gables. Both novels share a motherless
teenager being raised by strict elders; warm friendships with female kindred spirits; romance with a school rival; and a
protagonist's vivid imagination sparking her love of stories and nature on Prince Edward Island. Real-life Montgomery
had a father who remarried in Saskatchewan, and the middle section of Maud describes her largely unhappy stay with
his new family, beleaguered by her stepmother. The biographical summaries of what happened to Maud's friends in
later years are poignant, even for a reader unfamiliar with the books about the famous Anne of Green Gables.
The strain between well-researched biography and author-controlled fiction is manifest in the opening five-page cast of
characters. Deft readers will let the story take over, consulting the list if confused. The pace of nineteenth-century rural
Canadian life can seem slow; teens may be alternately incredulous or charmed by the techniques of old-fashioned
flirtation. Fishbane spins an appealing portrait of a girl awakening to romantic feelings and dreaming of becoming a
published writer. The fiction of Maud, the young dreamer, needs the fact of the real Montgomery's eventual success to
complete the narrative arc, which is flat in Maud. Anne fans will have that completion in abundance; others, perhaps,
not so much. --Katherine Noone.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Noone, Katherine. "Fishbane, Melanie J.: Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery." Voice of Youth
Advocates, June 2017, p. 64. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA497860318&it=r&asid=7534e9f1fc7788cebf9b591535a4c32a.
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Fishbane, Melanie J.: Maud: A Novel Inspired by
the Life of L. M. Montgomery
Victoria Pennell
Resource Links.
22.4 (Apr. 2017): p29.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Resource Links
http://www.atcl.ca
Full Text:
(A)
FISHBANE, Melanie J.
MAUD: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L. M. Montgomery
Penguin Random House, 2017. 386p. Gr. 7-12. 978-0-14-319125-4. Hdbk. $22.99
As we see a new version of "Anne of Green Gables" being aired on television this spring, this book is a timely
publication for those viewers who might be interested in the author Lucy Maud Montgomery. While her name is know
by virtually everyone in Canada, how much do they really know about her as a person?
This book focuses on the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery during her teen years as imagined by Melanie J. Fishbane
based on Montgomery's diaries and letters and extensive research into her life at that time. After the death of her
mother when Lucy Maud was quite young she went to live with her very strict grandparents. Fishbane takes us through
the teen years when Lucy Maud was taking exception to some of the restrictions which her grandparents were
emphasizing. For a period of time she is sent to live with a very strict aunt because of her behaviour and it is just at the
time she is returning to her grandparent that this book begins. We are given some insight into her school days in
Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, as well as her friends at the time. Because she does not conform to her grandparents
way of life, she eventually goes to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan to live with her father and step-mother. Here she is not
treated well, especially by her step-mother, and after the birth of a new baby is expected to become a nanny to the
child. They also try to marry her off to a man who is much older. After a year Lucy Maud realizes that Prince Albert is
not the place for her and she returns to her grandparents in Cavendish. During all this time she is discovering her
talents as a writer and eventually has some stories published.
While this is a fictional account, it closely models Montgomery's early life in Prince Edward Island. Fishbane has
written quite an interesting story which will appeal to readers of the "Anne" stories. They will see resemblances to
various characters in Montgomery's books coming through some of the characters which Fishbane has included in her
book. I would recommend this title for school and public libraries.
Thematic Links: Lucy Maud Montgomery; Biography
Victoria Pennell
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
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Pennell, Victoria. "Fishbane, Melanie J.: Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L. M. Montgomery." Resource Links,
Apr. 2017, p. 29. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA495033923&it=r&asid=0f267576e9f993e3757a650f3c5ca4c9.
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Maud
The Bookwatch.
(May 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bw/index.htm
Full Text:
Maud
Melanie J. Fishbane Penguin Books c/o Penguin Group (USA) 375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780143191254, $17.99, www.penguin.com
Although directed to teen audiences and published under Penguin's teen imprint, many an adult already familiar with
the works of L.M. Montgomery will appreciate this story, inspired by Montgomery's life, and so it will appeal beyond
the young audiences who are the usual reader of the 'Anne of Green Gables' series. Melanie Fishbane reconstructs
Montgomery's teen years based on her diaries, letters, and research to create a compelling story that brings the Green
Gables people to life. The result is a story that, though intended for teens, will reach well into adult audiences,
attracting any who loved the Anne of Green Gables series and its creator.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Maud." The Bookwatch, 1 May 2017. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA495940290&it=r&asid=81786ad5fa70923db57f75eeb767525e.
Accessed 7 Oct. 2017.
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Fishbane, Melanie: MAUD
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Fishbane, Melanie MAUD Penguin Random House Canada (Children's Fiction) $17.99 4, 25 ISBN: 978-0-14-319125-
4
Historical fiction based on a few teenage years in the life of Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Fourteen-year-old Maud Montgomery lives in a small town on Prince Edward Island with her dour maternal
grandparents. It's the late 1880s; with the exception of a very few Metis, everybody is white, and most are Presbyterian.
Maud's mother died when she was a toddler, and her now-remarried father lives in Saskatchewan. Maud chafes under
her grandparents' restrictions and sneaks walks home with schoolmate Nate; she worries about her relationships with
friends and her teacher; she writes in her journal and composes poetry. When her grandparents discover her tepid
relationship with Nate, they send her west to her father for a year. Maud doesn't get along with her stepmother; she
doesn't know what to make of a teacher who seems to be courting her; and she makes friends with another boy while
also publishing her first pieces of writing. Fishbane thoroughly researched Montgomery's life to create this lengthy
debut, but she doesn't turn it into a novel: there's a great deal of retelling in the passive voice. While Anne of Green
Gables remains a classic, Montgomery isn't widely known among today's U.S. schoolchildren, and it's doubtful they'll
be willing to wade through these pages to get glimpses of the girl Maud might have been. Disappointing; steer
interested readers toward Mary Henley Rubio's biography, Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings (2010),
instead. (cast of characters, historical note, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 12-adult)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Fishbane, Melanie: MAUD." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2017. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA482911721&it=r&asid=54a6bf39bc37d8a51ca6832702bb863e.
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Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M.
Montgomery
Publishers Weekly.
264.7 (Feb. 13, 2017): p77.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery
Melanie J. Fishbane. PenguinTeen Canada, $17.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-14-319125-4
In a delightful debut novel, Fishbane presents a fictional portrait of the teenage years of Anne of Green Gables author
L.M. Montgomery. The story opens in 1889, with 14-year-old Maud living with her maternal grandparents in Prince
Edward Island. They are distant, but Maud finds comfort in her writing, friends, and new teacher, Miss Gordon, who
encourages her writing. Maud and her friend Nate grow close, but her grandparents don't approve of him, and she's sent
to live with her father and his new family in Saskatchewan. Maud makes new friends and even finds love in her new
surroundings, but she always strives for more. Fishbane lovingly captures the small-town charm of Maud's Prince
Edward Island home and the rugged frontier of Saskatchewan while etching an affecting portrait of a young woman
determined to follow her heart and be something more, at a time when options for women were few. Fans of
Montgomery's novels will recognize much of Maud's life in that of Anne, but even readers not familiar with those
books will be easily drawn into her world. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery." Publishers Weekly, 13 Feb. 2017, p. 77. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA482198271&it=r&asid=1107d3a76963f54fe4ab55d22da232d2.
Accessed 7 Oct. 2017.
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Fishbane, Melanie J.: Maud: A Novel Inspired by
the Life of L.M. Montgomery
Melissa Kazan
School Library Journal.
63.4 (Apr. 2017): p146.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution
permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
FISHBANE, Melanie J. Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery. 400p. Penguin Teen Canada. Apr.
2017. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780143191254.
Gr 7 Up--This book, based on the early teen years of Lucy Maud Montgomery, opens in 1889, when the "Anne of
Green Gables" author is 14. Motherless and with an absent father, Maud lives with her strict maternal grandparents in
picturesque Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. Though life at home is full of obligations and duties, Maud finds
distraction and excitement with her tight-knit circle of friends. She excels in school and aspires to be a published
writer, though her options are severely limited because of her gender. As her grandparents remind her, Maud's goal
should be to obtain a suitable husband. The story follows Maud as she reluctantly leaves the island for the newly
developing territory of Saskatchewan to live with her father and his new family and then returns to her beloved
Cavendish when things sour. The novel ends in 1892, but an addendum provides a summary of Maud's later years.
Fishbane's admiration for Montgomery is apparent throughout, and her writing is reminiscent of the author's. The thirdperson
narrative is filled with vivid descriptions of the natural beauty of the island and the untamed yet scenic
Saskatchewan. Secondary characters are fully drawn and their interactions detailed and rich. Fishbane effectively
evokes Maud's loneliness at having no true place to call home, despite her rather large extended family.
Notwithstanding a cluttered start--too many characters are introduced at once, and a "cast of characters" at the outset is
daunting--the tale quickly finds its footing as a compelling and informative tale of a beloved author. VERDICT An
engaging addition that will appeal to more than just fans of L.M. Montgomery.-Melissa Kazan, Horace Mann School,
NY
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Kazan, Melissa. "Fishbane, Melanie J.: Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery." School Library
Journal, Apr. 2017, p. 146. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA488688251&it=r&asid=31b4e6702cc5fa334a3403b46a10ebca.
Accessed 7 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A488688251
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Maud
Internet Bookwatch.
(May 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Maud
Melanie J. Fishbane
Penguin Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780143191254, $17.99, www.penguin.com
Although directed to teen audiences and published under Penguin's teen imprint, many an adult already familiar with
the works of L.M. Montgomery will appreciate this story, inspired by Montgomery's life, and so it will appeal beyond
the young audiences who are the usual reader of the 'Anne of Green Gables' series. Melanie Fishbane reconstructs
Montgomery's teen years based on her diaries, letters, and research to create a compelling story that brings the Green
Gables people to life. The result is a story that, though intended for teens, will reach well into adult audiences,
attracting any who loved the Anne of Green Gables series and its creator.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Maud." Internet Bookwatch, May 2017. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA497797318&it=r&asid=6ba4016a857ac0128e8f13645c442073.
Accessed 7 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A497797318
'Maud' Doesn't Quite Live Up To Its Heroine's Example
April 26, 20177:00 AM ET
CAITLYN PAXSON
Maud
Maud
by Melanie J. Fishbane
Hardcover, 386 pages purchase
Before "fandom" was even a word, women were making pilgrimages to Prince Edward Island to pay homage to a certain red-haired orphan girl named Anne. There's such an industry built up around Anne of Green Gables that it's sort of surprising there aren't dozens of novels about her creator, L.M. Montgomery. In many ways, she's the perfect heroine for a work of young adult historical fiction — she was a girl born ahead of her time, full of potential and possessed of a deep longing for love and creative success.
In Maud, we meet her as a young teen. She has just returned to Cavendish, P.E.I., where she grew up in the care of her grandparents. Her temporary exile — an effort to strong-arm her into being a more proper young lady — has come to an end, and now she must rebuild the trust of her grandparents and reconnect with her close circle of friends.
With her mother dead and her father out West, Maud has always felt unwanted and unloved. Her solace is the adoration of her close friends and the stories and poems she writes in her journal. More than anything, she longs to go to college and become a writer, but her grandparents don't approve.
Romantic entanglements begin to complicate her friendships, and then, at long last, her father sends for her to join him. A journey across Canada to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan begins as an adventure, but Maud soon discovers that the loving home she'd been hoping for will remain elusive. So she turns once again to friendship, and most of all, to the stories growing in her heart.
Beauty And Mischief In 'Anne Of Green Gables'
BOOKS
Beauty And Mischief In 'Anne Of Green Gables'
It's tricky to turn a person's real life into fiction, and the first part of Maud suffers a little from the push and pull of creating a satisfying narrative while staying true to facts. In particular, the interplay of Maud's circle of friends feels a little clumsy. I understand that much of the story is drawn from Montgomery's journals and other documents, but it ends up feeling like a draft of the small-town drama that Montgomery refined in her own fiction. She had a true gift for distilling characters and putting them into well-orchestrated conflicts with each other, and Maud can't quite compare.
It makes sense that things truly come to life when Maud departs for Saskatchewan. This is the period in Montgomery's life where she moved from writing in her journal to writing published works, and Maud becomes much more intriguing as a character as we see her discovering a new place and all the new people in it. It is easy to feel Maud's isolation, her crushed hopes, and her excitement as she forms new bonds.
As a lifelong fan of Montgomery's work, it's impossible to avoid coming to 'Maud' with the hope that it will feel like one of her own stories ... I recommend leaving your expectations at the door.
The real Montgomery was somewhat fickle and even tragic in her romantic entanglements, and the way this is portrayed in Maud feels very true to life. In most YA fiction, the romance that is established is assumed to be completely pure, mutual, and long-lasting. It's very refreshing to see Maud struggle to define her feelings like a real person would — especially in historical fiction, which still frequently ends with an engagement or marriage.
As a lifelong fan of Montgomery's work, it's impossible to avoid coming to Maud with the hope that it will feel like one of her own stories. And while it has all the same trappings, I recommend leaving your expectations at the door. Real life will never come with the narrative satisfaction of a novel, and Maud feels complicated and more than a little melancholy when compared too closely to Montgomery's own works of fiction. Her life, while full of tremendous creative success and accomplishment, was deeply tragic on a personal level, and even though Maud leaves us on a hopeful note, it's impossible not to long for Anne's happily-ever-after. Ultimately, Montgomery already wrote the story of her life, but she wrapped it up in a thousand layers of fiction that manage to tell a better truth.
Caitlyn Paxson is a writer and performer. She is an editor at Goblin Fruit, and can be found discussing folklore and pop culture on the Fakelore Podcast.