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*I was provided an e-ARC through Net Galley and Penguin Random House Canada, thank you so much*

I have been extremely excited about this book ever since I first heard about it. A story based on the teenage years of the author who wrote the Canadian classic, Anne of Green Gables? YES GIVE IT TO ME NOW! Although, I’ve only read Anne once (I am going to re-read it soon, however!) it really touched my heart. It was funny, charming and I absolutely adore it. (Plus I have seen the show many. many times). So reading this story and finding the connections between the Maud’s life and Anne’s life was truly a treasure. However, this is a work of fiction so Maud’s life most likely did not unravel as it did in this book. Still I really enjoyed Maud’s character and the story of her life when she was fourteen.


Reading this book gave me a little more insight into what Maud’s life could have been like growing up a teen in the 1890s.

What I liked

Characters:

Maud: How could I not like Maud? She was charming, caring and ever so studious. She loved hanging out with her friends and helping her grandparents despite their stern demeanour. I really enjoyed her perseverance against the challenges put in her path. She was trying to find somewhere she belonged in a community that only remembered the scandal of her parents. Her father and step-mother situation was probably the most hurtful experience she had to go through in terms of family issues. She faced backlash and denial as she tried to make a career for herself, something women in the 1800s were not typically found doing. Yet, Maud found her way to make her writing dream come true and I really appreciated that about her. She went through a lot of change over the course of the novel which I found relatable because who can really say they are the same person today as they were three years ago?

I feel hesitant to mention other characters for means of spoilers…but I really enjoyed the friendships she made with Laura and Mollie. This is a story of Maud’s life over the course of two to three years. So some people come and go while others stay. It was truly fascinating to see how her relationships with the characters played out.

The Setting: *I will gloat a little here.* FOR ONCE I HAD AN IDEA OF WHERE THE CHARACTERS WERE! You get to explore the peaceful shores of Prince Edward Island, the dusty and farm-like wild west of Saskatchewan. And the hustle and bustle of the cities in Ontario. I just found the change in setting and travelling very beautiful and exciting!

It didn’t shy away from the bad aspects of Canadian History: While there is not a lot of emphasis, there is a very important message about the treatment of First Nation and Indigenous peoples of Canada during the time period. There was a Métis character who was an actual person in Maud’s, life that was present in the story. Although she was not in the story for long, I think it was a good thing for the author to use her to represent the struggle of the First Nations in Canada.

It had Anne flair: I think my favourite part about this novel is how the author made the connections between Maud’s life and Anne’s life. At first I was expecting Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert or Gilbert to waltz into Maud’s life. Instead I found the people who inspired those characters. The setting that inspired Green Gables. The life of an orphan-like girl who discovered kindred spirits and the scope of imagination which inspired a certain red-head I know and love!

Romance: I am not going to mention a who, in case of spoilers but I will say that the romance was sweet and absolutely adorable. It made my heart squish in the good way. (It also broke a couple times)

What I Disliked

The Pacing Was Confusing: This is usually not a concerning thing if it is an action novel or mystery and you just want to know what is going on. When I consider the pace of this novel, I am talking about the actual time line in the writing. Things went a little to fast sometimes as in the characters would jump from one moment in time to another which was weeks away from the original.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I thought that it was fun, engrossing and a great look into the life of a female Canadian author. Even though this novel is very fictitious and many of the events and plot lines were made for the sake of the character developments I thought it was a fantastic portrayal of Maud’s life when she was young. Fishbane did a tremendous amount of research for her novel. I’m telling you pages of pages of reading material (all listed at the end of the book) which I think she deserves a round of applause for!

Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars (I just found it incredible!)

Recommend?: Even if you’re not Canadian and you know nothing about our history, Anne or our geography 😉 I still recommend you to read the coming of age story of an author. I suggest you read Anne of Green Gables first, then read this to find all those Anne connections!