Scan barcode
erikars's review against another edition
3.0
This is very much a "based on a true story" rendition of L.M. Montgomery's teenage years. It was a fun read and does help bring Maud to life as a person during a period not as well covered in biographies and her journals. It's definitely a YA novel and, if it weren't about my favorite author, is probably one I would have passed by as an adult, but given the subject, I enjoyed it.
I appreciate how Fishbane included a section at the end discussing where she took liberties. The only one I disagree with was softening Montgomery's attitude toward the indigenous groups out in Saskatchewan. While Montgomery might have been a bit more sympathetic than most, her views were colored by the racism of the time, and the kinship Maud felt in the novel rang false to me, as someone who has read some of Montgomery's stories which haven't aged as well. Even if this is a YA novel, I don't think that's something we should ignore. Beyond that, the liberties Fishbane took were perfectly reasonable for turning messy real life into a story.
I appreciate how Fishbane included a section at the end discussing where she took liberties. The only one I disagree with was softening Montgomery's attitude toward the indigenous groups out in Saskatchewan. While Montgomery might have been a bit more sympathetic than most, her views were colored by the racism of the time, and the kinship Maud felt in the novel rang false to me, as someone who has read some of Montgomery's stories which haven't aged as well. Even if this is a YA novel, I don't think that's something we should ignore. Beyond that, the liberties Fishbane took were perfectly reasonable for turning messy real life into a story.
denakaye's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
gingeraffe21's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
nanceoir's review against another edition
4.0
A novel about my favorite author, L. M. Montgomery? Um, yes please!
Even though I was pre-sold on this book, that didn't mean I warmed to it straight away. The first book (the novel is split into several books, each chronically a different time period) actually felt a little distant to me, but I can't pin down why. I was thinking that, much as I wanted to love the novel, it just wouldn't work for me. Things turned around in Book Two, though, and I really started getting into it. By the time I was done, I found I had a really nice journey.
If you already love L. M. Montgomery's books, you'll definitely find things to love here. And if you enjoy well-researched historical fiction that gets into a person's head, you'll have a good time with this one.
Oh, one random detail I particularly enjoyed was when Maud's clothing became more adult and there's talk of how much time it takes to get all those clothes on. It's not something I'm accustomed to seeing mentioned in books, but I so appreciate it.
Even though I was pre-sold on this book, that didn't mean I warmed to it straight away. The first book (the novel is split into several books, each chronically a different time period) actually felt a little distant to me, but I can't pin down why. I was thinking that, much as I wanted to love the novel, it just wouldn't work for me. Things turned around in Book Two, though, and I really started getting into it. By the time I was done, I found I had a really nice journey.
If you already love L. M. Montgomery's books, you'll definitely find things to love here. And if you enjoy well-researched historical fiction that gets into a person's head, you'll have a good time with this one.
Oh, one random detail I particularly enjoyed was when Maud's clothing became more adult and there's talk of how much time it takes to get all those clothes on. It's not something I'm accustomed to seeing mentioned in books, but I so appreciate it.
amies808's review against another edition
3.0
This follows Maud through three different phases of her teen years and while it was fun to read about the imagined life and motivations of my favorite author, I wish that this author had focused on just one “chapter” of Maud’s life. I think that would have given the book a lot more breathing room to explore Maud’s personality as well as the characters of the other people in her life. As it was, I felt like I was being “told” a lot, versus shown (and as a huge LMM fan, I love being shown - especially when it comes to the landscape!)
nataliesboooks's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
linneahedvig's review against another edition
2.0
I was excited to read this beautiful novelization about L. M. Montgomery. The author has written this to fit very well into the genre of Young Adult fiction, complete with #love-dilemmas. I didn't spend much time with it, but it didn't impress me. There is another L. M. Montgomery biography coming out later this month (House of Dreams) that I'll probably check out.
thepolybrary's review against another edition
5.0
Maud is an engaging fictionalized account of the early life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the creator of the Anne of Green Gables books beloved the world over. While a work of historical fiction, the book encompasses many known facts and events of Montgomery's life. I was very surprised to see how very similar, in many ways, her growing up years were to those of her character Anne. It was also very sad to see how, unlike Anne, she never really seemed to have support or love from much of her family. I was very intrigued to say the least, and will be looking at a full length biography of her in the future.
I was struck by how hard Montgomery worked to be able to write her stories. In a time when women were expected only to marry and have children, and anything else was considered strange or even evil, she chose education over even her current happiness or in some cases relationships with her family. She seems to have been a feminist before the term was coined. Though she did of course later marry and have children, it was only after she was an established and successful author.
The author takes time to shed light on the condition of women's rights at this time in Canadian history, as well as the plight of some of the native people such as the Metis. There is also particular emphasis on the conflict between different denominations within the Christian church.
The author has included a brief historical biography in the back of the book, along with specifics about what happened to certain characters. This really helped to tie up the story, especially since this particular book ended before Montgomery was even eighteen.
4.5/5 stars. Highly recommend for anyone who has enjoyed the Anne of Green Gables story!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram | Google+
I was struck by how hard Montgomery worked to be able to write her stories. In a time when women were expected only to marry and have children, and anything else was considered strange or even evil, she chose education over even her current happiness or in some cases relationships with her family. She seems to have been a feminist before the term was coined. Though she did of course later marry and have children, it was only after she was an established and successful author.
The author takes time to shed light on the condition of women's rights at this time in Canadian history, as well as the plight of some of the native people such as the Metis. There is also particular emphasis on the conflict between different denominations within the Christian church.
The author has included a brief historical biography in the back of the book, along with specifics about what happened to certain characters. This really helped to tie up the story, especially since this particular book ended before Montgomery was even eighteen.
4.5/5 stars. Highly recommend for anyone who has enjoyed the Anne of Green Gables story!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram | Google+
barbarajean's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5