“Psst. Carrots! Hey, Carrots!” Please don’t throw a slate at the computer. That wouldn’t benefit anyone guys! One of my favorite film series as a young child, later, becoming one of my favorite books is Anne of Green Gables. What an endearing, idealistic classic. Have you ever wondered about the woman who wrote this timeless masterpiece?
L.M. Montgomery (Lucy Maud) was born in Prince Edward Island (PEI) in 1874. When Lucy was 21 months old, her mother (Clara) passed away of tuberculosis. Lucy’s father was so devasted by her passing, he placed Lucy with her grandparents and left them to raise her. When she was 7 years old, he moved away from PEI. Despite Lucy having many relatives in the area, she grew up in a very lonely and quiet household. She had a few imaginary friends (didn’t we all?) and created a special home for them behind the bookcase in the drawing room. Little Lucy had a dream for fame at just 13. She attempted to publish a poem and much to her demise, it was rejected.
In 1890 Lucy finished her schooling in Cavendish and decided to spend a year in Prince Albert with her father and stepmother. In that time, she published one poem and one article in the local newspaper. Immediately following the achievement of finally publishing, she fled back to Cavendish, escaping the stepmother she’d been steering clear of the past year. Her father was said to have a doomed marriage and it was a dreadful environment to be around. Flee Lucy, flee!
Lucy attended Prince of Wales College and completed her two-year teaching program in just one year. Get it, Lucy! She was said to have been quite alluring in her youthful years. She was attractive and stylish…obviously we already know she was a smart one, to say the least. No wonder they came a knocking! She received multiple proposals during her teaching years. A handful of which included a young relationship she had at 14 with a Cavendish boy (Nate) that she realized was merely a friendship strewn with bountiful, witty humor. She refused his marriage proposal and their relationship hastily ended. She later courted her teacher, who she rapidly realized was a bit too humdrum for her. His conversations focused on theology and religious matters. Yawn inducing to say the least. A few more romantic interests came and went, all of which seemed to fade away like the sudden turn of a page in a book. She found herself viewing most romantic interests that pursued her as good friends, nothing more.
In 1897 she finally accepted a proposal from Edwin, a student near Cavendish. At this point she felt a strong longing for security and companionship, leading her to become engaged to a man she didn’t truly love. Later on she stated she had much contempt for Edwin, as he was vain and self-centered. No time for that nonsense! During her time teaching in Lower Bedeque, she met a man who enticed her like never before, while still being engaged to Edwin. His name was Herman (of all names), and he was a member of the family with which she boarded. He was also engaged. This sounds a bit troublesome Lucy!
He had wild, blonde curls and a handsome demeanor. He also was a true romantic, speaking to her in poetic tones and longing to kiss her. Despite her draw to Herman, her conscience never allowed her to develop an intimate relationship with him. Her family caught wind of their romantic interest in each other and expressed they didn’t think Herman was up to their standards, leading to much heartbreak and loss. Lucy broke it off with Herman regretfully and he passed away shortly after from the flu. Upon experiencing this emotional and romantic anguish, she broke it off with Edwin as well, tossing the notion of ever finding love into the “depths of despair”. She confessed throughout various years of her life, of all the men she loved, it was Herman who truly stole her heart.
Lucy published her first book in 1908, a small unknown book called…you guessed it! Anne of Green Gables. It was an instantaneous hit (no kidding) and this book undoubtedly launched her career. She wrote several sequels to Anne and The Canadian Press appreciated the recognition she offered them by portraying PEI as an old fashioned and slower paced area to settle in. In 1911, Lucy married Ewen Macdonald, a Presbyterian minister. They moved into a home within Ontario that Lucy openly complained “did not occupy a bathroom or toilet”, much to her dismay. Astonishingly, Lucy chose to wed someone who was not interested in literature and they didn’t have much in common overall.
Ewen and Lucy had three sons, the 2nd of which was stillborn. Lucy was unhappy in this marriage but felt an obligation to make her marriage work. She wrote often, in hopes of escaping the reality of her hardships and sorrow. In 1914 Word War 1 began and Lucy was motivated to “be in the know” and help where she was able. Her husband advocated quite often during the first year, pleading for volunteers to fight for Canada and the British Empire. Lucy had mixed emotions in supporting war, as she didn’t believe that fighting this war would put an end to war overall, but still tried to show her support.
After witnessing the first two years of revolting accounts and reading of various vile acts, Ewen refused to preach about the war. Observing her husband sitting idling by and not contributing in some way disgust her. She sought out updates from the newspapers each day and the darkness devoured her…despair and dejection set in. Up until the war ended in 1918, she became consumed by it. She was obsessed and wrote about the war each day in her journal. Life became increasingly grim for this romantic soul as her husband coped with a depressive disorder, (religious melancholia) and weakening health.
Upon Lucy contracting the Spanish flu and her husband being inattentive to her, she contemplated divorce. She had already been feeling such a disconnect from him, but after being brushed away while going through this severe illness, she felt angry, resentful, and more alone than ever. Ewen was consumed by a realization he was not chosen to go to Heaven, leading him to stare into the nothingness for hours. He disregarded the children, housework, and apparently on a particular occasion, drove erratically as if to hurt himself. Amongst all else, Lucy had to sadly now deal with superfluous stresses involving her writing.
Her publisher (Louis Coues Page) paid Lucy 7 cents on every dollar made from the Anne books, all the while she was supposed to be making 19 cents on every dollar. Big difference! Her publisher even sold the U.S rights to her novel Anne’s House of Dreams, which he didn’t own the rights to. Thankfully, she came out as winner in 1925. Court ruled in her favor, alas Louis somehow avoided paying what he owed her. Until that is, in 1928 when she finally received $15,000 US dollars. Lucy was the most successful Canadian author of all time…yet, back then she was viewed as a mere children’s and/or woman’s author. Therefore, she was ignored by most well-known critics, and not taken seriously. Fools!
While all of this suing and being taken advantage of was occurring, her uncle tore down the home Lucy grew up in out of exasperation…too many Anne of Green Gables fans visiting apparently. This crushed a part of Lucy’s spirit, as she had such a bond and connection to the inspiration for her stories and the memories formed there. Lucy fell into a cavernous depression, realizing money won’t change a thing and definitely can’t buy her happiness. She pondered over her suppressed romantic passions and her lost true love (Herman), believing deep down that her depression and headaches were caused by these demising angsts. She continued to tend to her ailing husband, whose health relentlessly regressed. He checked into a sanatorium in 1926 due to his depression escalating. Upon his release, Lucy went to the drug store to pick up a medication for him that was unintentionally laced with insecticide, nearly killing him. His depression was now escorted with paranoia. I can only imagine what that existence must have been like – for them both!
Lucy continued to focus on writing to distract herself…in the same regard, she began taking various pills to enhance her mood. On occasion she spoke professionally to large groups in Canada, always showing up with smiles and cheery exterior. Sadly, she started to rely on bromides and barbiturates in order to feel normal. You may wonder where her children come into play during all of this. Her firstborn was dealing with struggles that caused his wife to leave him and Lucy was in constant distress about her second born being pulled into war. She feared if he left for war, she would no longer have a reason to continue breathing.
I type the rest of this with a little bit of tears welling up…as I had no idea the woman who created one of my favorite childhood role models, (Anne Shirley), died in bed, with sadness literally consuming her, in 1942. The primary cause was officially noted as coronary thrombosis. Though, her granddaughter Kate stated that her grandmother suffered from depression, possibly due to the burden of caring for her mentally unstable husband for decades, (Ewen was still alive when she passed). A note was found by Lucy’s bed, which read, in part:
“… I have lost my mind by spells and I do not dare think what I may do in those spells. May God forgive me and I hope everyone else will forgive me even if they cannot understand. My position is too awful to endure and nobody realizes it. What an end to a life in which I tried always to do my best.”
Looking at various pictures of her, most of the photographs of Lucy that were taken at middle age onward have a emptiness cascading from her eyes and overall expression. The jovial hope within her seems to have vanished, only a subtle, ingenuine smile emerging…now I understand why. This picture I selected to showcase, though blurry and quite old, offered a small glimmer of the youthful, starry-eyed, positive energy her soul was once enveloped in. I only hope she knew what a difference she made, and that her quixotic heart was admired and loved. Not only by Herman…but by me.
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