ARC Review: Maud

Title: Maud

Author: Melanie J. Fishbane

Genre & Age Group: Historical fiction, young adult

Goodreads Synopsis:

For the first time ever, a young adult novel about the teen years of L.M. Montgomery, the author who brought us ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.

Fourteen-year-old Lucy Maud Montgomery — Maud to her friends — has a dream: to go to college and become a writer, just like her idol, Louisa May Alcott. But living with her grandparents on Prince Edward Island, she worries that this dream will never come true. Her grandfather has strong opinions about a woman’s place in the world, and they do not include spending good money on college. Luckily, she has a teacher to believe in her, and good friends to support her, including Nate, the Baptist minister’s stepson and the smartest boy in the class. If only he weren’t a Baptist; her Presbyterian grandparents would never approve. Then again, Maud isn’t sure she wants to settle down with a boy — her dreams of being a writer are much more important.

But life changes for Maud when she goes out West to live with her father and his new wife and daughter. Her new home offers her another chance at love, as well as attending school, but tensions increase as Maud discovers her stepmother’s plans for her, which threaten Maud’s future — and her happiness forever.

Source: Thanks so much to Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley!

How I Found Out About It: Netgalley

A couple years ago, I shamelessly devoured Anne of Green Gables, falling in love with Anne and her spunky, inquisitive personality. I have forever since wondered what the author was like and what in her background had inspired her to write the story. So, when I found Maud on Netgalley and learned it was a fictional biography about Lucy Maud Montgomery, I knew I needed it for sure!

For a brief summary, this book revolves around Maud, who aspires to become a famous writer someday. Unfortunately, living in Prince Edward Island has its downsides, and her family isn’t too keen on women going to college. Despite that, her friends and teachers support her very well in following her dreams. When Maud has to move in with her father across the country, she is at first reluctant, but then gives in, knowing that she’ll have more of a chance at finding love- but will she still be able to pursue her dream of writing?

I first just want to applaud how unique the prose of this story was. Not too often do we see good fictional portrayals of famous people’s lives, and this book was exactly that! The author obviously did tons and tons of research and gave Montgomery’s life a lot of insight before starting to write.👌

I felt like I could really find bits of myself in Maud’s curious, perfectionist nature. Her perseverance to become the person she wanted to be was out of this world, and I felt so bad for her regarding her circumstances. I could also find many bits of Anne Shirley in her as well, with her dreamy, spunky personality. I guess it is true that authors write what they know, as Anne is basically Maud’s personality twin!💁

The plot of this book was a bit slow at first, but as it sped up, I found myself becoming more and more hooked to the story. After reading about Maud’s journey, I was definitely able to tell what inspired her to write Anne’s stories.

Overall, Maud was a fantastic portrayal of L.M. Montgomery’s life, and I love to read about the events that inspire authors to write their books. Lovers of Anne of Green Gables will absolutely fall in love with this story, but even if you haven’t read it, a) I totally suggest you do, and b) you’ll probably be able to relate very well to the determined, quirky protagonist of Maud! Be sure to mark your calendars for the glorious day of May 16th, as that is when you’ll be able to pick up your copy!

*I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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