Lucy Maud Montgomery's Prince Edward Island, Part 2: The Author's Birthplace

“And here, around a certain corner, is a certain small, yellowish-brown house, close to the road, that I always look at with a kind of fascination, for it is the house where my father and mother lived after their marriage, and where I was born and spent the first year of my life. The years have passed on and each succeeding one has left the little brown house something shabbier than before, but its enchantment has never faded in my eyes. I always look for it with the same eager interest when I turn the corner.” — The Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900, Saturday,  December 31, 1898.

This journal entry is quoted on a sign outside of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s birthplace. She was 24 at the time of writing this, and I think she would be happy to know that even though the building has been altered superficially—it is brown no longer, but white with dark green trim—the house still holds a certain enchantment. Here in this tiny house close to the road, a great writer was born some 150 years ago. 

Lucy Maud Montgomery was born on 30 November 1874 to Hugh John Montgomery and Clara Woolner Macneill in the village of Clifton, now called New London, Prince Edward Island. The home overlooks picturesque New London Harbour, complete with the quintessential sand dunes any viewer of the many Anne of Green Gables adaptations would imagine if asked to picture the landscape of the Island.

Maud was not yet two when her mother, Clara, died of tuberculosis at the Macneill homestead in Cavendish. Afterwards, Maud continued to live with her maternal grandparents, Alexander and Lucy Macneill. She lived there at the Macneill Homestead in Cavendish until her marriage to Rev. Ewan Macdonald on 5 July 1911.

Now seems like a good time to share Maud’s wedding dress, which can be viewed at Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Birthplace. This replica is on display in a glass case right next to the cash desk, which made it very difficult to photograph without capturing annoying reflections. I admit, I found the mannequin quite disturbing. Most mannequins are a bit unsettling by nature, but the fact that this one looks like it has a stocking pulled over its face, ready to rob a bank, added another dimension of creepiness. 

Speaking of the cash desk, I didn’t pay much attention to the gift-y things in portion of the house designated as a shop. I was much too excited to focus on shopping. But I did happen to notice they did have a very good selection of books. When you walk in the front door the facing wall is covered in books with the covers facing out, which I found particularly tempting. I bought two published by Kindred Spirits of PEI, a publisher run by George Campbell, a relative of Maud. The two books were, Anne of Green Gables (1908), because I needed a backup—this was not the last copy I bought on this trip—and The Story Girl (1911). (I have linked to the same editions I bought, which you can find at the Anne of Green Gables Store in person, or online. These are not affiliate links.)

In that same room is where I spotted this photo of Maud, wearing a truly fabulous hat, and her husband Rev. Ewan Macdonald on their honeymoon.

On the same wall as the above photo of Maud, I found this flower made of human hair, which was apparently a popular craft around 1900. I could admire for its craftsmanship, maybe even its artistry, if only I didn’t have an abhorrence of hair that is not attached to a body. I considered not including it here, because it is another creepy thing, but, for better or worse, I was struck by its oddity and thought it might be of interest to others. Let’s move so I can shake off the heebie-jeebies. 

When you come in the front door of the house the cash desk is to your left (go there first and pay your entry fee), to your right is a flight of stairs, and straight ahead leads to the rest of the main floor. Let’s head to the kitchen and work our way counterclockwise through the rooms. 

An imposing Franklin stove presides in this room. I cannot imagine relying on this not only to cook, bake, heat the iron, but also to keep the house warm. It must have been used as heating, because what was noticeably lacking from this building was any sign of a fireplace. The one chimney you can see on the outside of the house, must be for the stove. The kitchen also contains a number of chairs, a table that has been pushed against one wall, and a corner cabinet filled with dishes. I can’t help but wonder how this room was set up when Maud’s parents lived here. 

What I find most fascinating about historic homes that have been set up as they might have been however many years ago, are all the little domestic items. The area next to the stove has such an interesting array of items that I felt compelled to capture it. One of the items appears to be a preserved bird wing. For beauty, or for purpose? Either answer would only end up in more questions. 

In the main room downstairs there is a display which takes up the centre of the room, filled with Maud’s scrapbooks. There were other objects, tables, chairs, some china I meant to ask about, but I didn’t. I was too captivated by the scrapbooks to focus on anything else. I had not heard about Maud’s scrapbooks before our visit to the Island. To be honest, I knew very little about Maud, outside of the contents of her novels and short stories. As you can see from the collection here, she certainly loved scrapbooking, including invites and programs from outings. She also collected clippings of her published stories, which can be seen in the long display case in the centre of this room. 

I have just recently started reading the first of seven volumes in her collected journals, The Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900. She wrote her journal with the intention of it being published one day. That is striking enough, I think, but she even edited it. There are places where she had removed leaves and pasted in new ones. Another notable difference between Maud’s journal and many other writer’s personal record is that she added visual elements as well, including newspaper clippings, postcards, studio shots, and her own photography. I’m just up to the entries from 1890, but the photographs of Maud’s friends, family, and the landscape have added so much to the reading experience. Also, I never would have expected that Maud’s voice to be so mature from such an early age. From the start of the journal in 1889, when Maud is almost fifteen, the writing and the scenarios could have been pulled straight from the pages of The Story Girl or Anne of Green Gables. 

I snapped this photo of Imagining Anne: Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Island Scrapbooks at The Site of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish Home. I’ll talk more about that location in another post, but I will say here that they did have a great selection of books at that location. I wish I had bought a copy of this book while I was on the spot, but you can find it online. If you are interested in learning more about Maud’s scrapbooks, I think this book would be a great resource.

At the back of the house and to the far left, in relation to the front door, there is a small sitting room. Here I picked up a couple of brochures about the Island and Maud-related locations, including one specific to her birthplace. I can see this room being used as a study or quiet space back when the building was a family home, so it was fitting to find a cabinet with a number of foreign editions of Maud’s books on display.

Returning back to the front door, we go up the stairs that appear on the right on your way in. At the top of the stairs on the right is a door marked “The Child’s Room”.

I’m currently reading The Golden Road (1944), and in it Cecily is making a quilt that people have paid to have their name stitched on in either a 5¢ or 10¢ piece. In the book, the governor’s wife pays to have her name and her husband’s stitched on a 10¢ piece, which speaks to their financial and social position. More surprising is that Peg Bowen, a reclusive woman who lives is a decrepit old place and appears to only have one outfit, also says she will take a 10¢ piece. She even appears affronted when Cecily asks her which price of piece Peg would like. But then, Peg says she will pay later, because she doesn’t have the cash on hand. That was a couple of chapters ago, and so far no mention that she paid Cecily for the privilege. I don’t think Peg would unintentionally go without paying. She did give the children refuge in a snowstorm, after all. But after a night spent in the woman’s house they are no less convinced she is a witch, and there is this constant back and forth between whether Peg is just a misunderstood woman who lives by herself or something more sinister. Back to Maud's birthplace...

Back to Maud’s birthplace… This is the first of a number of rugs I took photos of on this trip. There are a couple of other beauties to come in the guest room, but overall, I was just really impressed with the attention to detail in dressing these rooms. I am not a historian, so I cannot comment on historical accuracy of all of the items, but they are all beautiful to look at, and the child’s room was my favourite room in the house. There is something so welcoming about an adorably decorated children’s room.

A room marked “The Main Bedroom” is the next door down the hall on the right. This is the room Maud was born in and would have been her parent’s bedroom. This is another room with a lot of items to admire. The hooked rugs, and the braided rug caught my eye, as did the garments of clothing. But just look at the bedspread! A sign outside the door reads, “This bedspread is on loan from the family of the late Edith Woodside, a valuable former board member.” I’m going to assume Edith Woodside made this bedspread, and very talented she was too. I wish I could have got a better photo of it, but there are low gates that run across the doorways of each of the upstairs rooms, preventing visitors from going inside. When I go back this year, I hope to at least ascertain whether the bedspread is crocheted or knitted.

Well, I had to take a photo of this man, Adonijah (Nige) Marks (1858-1945), posed with a litter of fox cubs that he raised. He made the bed in this room. Although, I think it is fair to assume that this is not the bed in which Maud was born in 1874. According to Nige’s great-great granddaughter, Elizabeth (Ingraham) Tumblin, “He was known for his long beard, his furniture making, his apple orchards and his telling fortunes through reading tea leaves.” He sounds like such a character, and just the sort of person I would like to know more about. Also, why are we not naming children Adonijah anymore?

Here are a couple more photos of the main bedroom that I am not going to comment on, otherwise, we are never going to get out of here.

We have made it to the last room upstairs, which is situated at the end of the short hall, “The Guest Room”. I have no idea what the deal is with the wedding dress, I will add that to my list of questions to pester the staff with on my next visit. But turn your attention to the quilt to the left of the mannequin bride. There is a small tag attached that says this is a log cabin afghan “[s]tarted by a little girl 8 years old, Sue M. Moncey (Muncey?), later Mrs. J.B. Leigh Lowther, Carleton Lot 28. Born November 1874. Died March 22, 1974.” It’s a beautiful piece, but no doubt it was also included in this room because Sue shared the same birth month and year as Maud. I would imagine this is the kind of handiwork that Maud and other little girls would have learned at the time. 

More of those beautiful rugs I mentioned earlier…

I love the patchwork quilt that sits on blue chest of drawers in the next photo. Patchwork speaks of a time when pieces of old clothes and bits of fabric were repurposed into beautiful and practical objects, instead of being thrown away like we would today. We donate our family’s old clothes to charity, and items that are at the end of their life I usually just turn into rags. It has never occurred to me to try my hand at patchwork, but it might be something to fill up the long winter nights and would take a lot longer than crocheted or knitting blankets, which is my current crafty pastime. 

Now, it’s time to go back down the stairs. Watch your step. The staircase is just about as steep as it appears in this photo. 

From start to finish, we spent 45 minutes at Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Birthplace, that’s including making a couple of purchases in the bookstore/gift shop area and having a lovely chat with the woman who was working there. I believe her name was Deborah. We were the only visitors at the time and Deborah, as we are calling her, was very generous with her time. I remember commenting to my husband that it felt like we had been given a personal tour. Other than leaving us to explore the upstairs on our own, she was close by, providing us with tidbits of information about the building and its objects. Now, I’m thinking the worker’s name could have been Margaret. Heaven help me. Well Deborah/Margaret, if you are reading this, thank you for your time and for offering to stamp not just the books I had bought, but any that I had in the car. She was so kind and she made me feel like she was just as excited to see us as we were to see Maud’s birthplace. All round, we had a very heartwarming experience visiting Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Birthplace.

Additional information:

Address

Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace

6461 Route 20, New London

PE C0B 1M0

At Junction of Route 20 and Route 6

Summer (902) 886 2099

Winter (902) 836 5502

Hours

Open Daily 15 June - 15 September 

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

For off season hours visit their website.

Other useful information

Free parking

Air conditioning

$7.00 per adult

$3.00 per child 3-12 years

No washrooms

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Lucy Maud Montgomery's Prince Edward Island, Part 1: Finding My Way to Anne

Anne of Green Gables was one of my most precious books when I was a child. I read it and reread it, crying at that part. (If you know, you know. And if you don’t, I’m not saying a word.) It was given to me in a goodie bag at a slumber party with a box set that included Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island, books two and three in the Anne of Green Gables series. I went on to read the other books in the series too, and was very thankful that my parents agreed to buy them for me. For the most part, I used the libraries near us. With a library at my school and the public library within walking distance, I took advantage of reading for free. But I don’t remember finding any Lucy Maud Montgomery books in the library until I got to high school, where they had a lot of titles I had not seen before. There I found Akin to Anne, a collection of stories about orphans like Anne. Among the Shadows, ghost stories that I read in the school library, for fear that my mother wouldn’t approve. I also found the Emily of New Moon trilogy (Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, Emily’s Quest) on those shelves. I remember loving those books, and when I was in grade 10 the CBC aired a TV adaptation that I loved watching. Although, I was careful not to broadcast that I was watching Emily of New Moon to anyone at school, a family friendly show that had an early evening Sunday night time slot. Everyone else was watching the new shows Dawson’s Creek and Felicity, and maybe even Beverly Hills, 90210 at the time. Not that I wasn’t watching those shows, as well. But I always felt a little out of place in high school and just wanted to fit in, or at least fly under the radar and get through the day without incident.

Part of what made Maud’s books so special to little Caro, is that they were set in Canada. (And yes, I’ve decided to be on a first name basis with this writer, because we have known each other for over 30 years.) Before Maud, I had not come across a novel that was set in Canada. While Prince Edward Island was far enough away from where we lived to feel like a fantasy land, the descriptions of the island sounded a lot like my home. It was a landscape I knew, even if the roads were tinted red there and the landscape sprinkled in fairy dust. I could get lost in my imagination with Anne, and found somehow too. Anne made me feel less alone. She made me realise that I wasn’t the only one who lived an internal life. Who told stories. Who loved to read. And who dreamed. 

I loved to read before Maud’s books came into my life, but she was the first author whose books I actively sought out and would ask my parents to buy any time I came across a title I didn’t have. Happily, they often obliged. Although, they weren’t interested in getting me the Emily books after I let it slip that they had them at my school library. And I somehow still do not have this series in my collection. I must remedy that at some point, because I would like to reread them.

Besides Anne and Emily, the character I really connected with was Valancy from The Blue Castle. This book is geared towards a slightly older audience. It’s not quite a book for adults, but not a children’s book either. I think today it would be marketed for young adults, but that doesn’t seem quite right either. This book is about a young woman who does not fit in with her large family. She is 29 years old and well on her way to becoming the family spinster, and general dogsbody. She is unhappy with her life, until one day when she finds out from her doctor that she has heart condition and could die at any time. Finding out she is going to die is what helps Valancy really live for the first time in her life. She lights the place on fire, moves to the woods, has a famous artist ask to paint her, and falls in love. It’s a life affirming book with a lot of big, complicated emotions, and it is just so good. Set in Muskoka, an area of Ontario that I was familiar with from family camping trips, this was another book that I could find myself in. It was just too romantic for words and I have no idea how many times I reread this in my youth. My copy looks almost as tired as my childhood copy of Anne of Green Gables, so I would say, a lot!

Last September, I visited Prince Edward Island for the first time. I would say it was a childhood dream of mine to visit the Island, but that is not quite true. Prince Edward Island was a place I could escape to in my mind, not somewhere one travelled to by more traditional means. So finally being there in the flesh, this place that with the help of Maud, I had created in my mind, was a lot to process. I planned to write a number of blog posts and post content on Instagram at the time, but when I got there… I don’t know. I just wanted to enjoy it. To be there without distraction. When I came home I posted a few photos, on Instagram, but I just felt so overwhelmed by the experience that I felt like I needed time to process it. I had really been there, treading the same paths as Maud, seeing the same views, breathing the same air, and I just wanted to hold it close, for it to be all mine, a little longer.

It’s almost a year later, and soon I will be on the Island again. We enjoyed our time so much that we are going back. This time we will be meeting my friend, Gina (@babsbelovedbooks) and her husband there, which is what I had dreamed of on our last trip. I wanted so much for all of my fellow fans of Maud to be there and experience this magical place too. I had a wonderful time visiting all of the Maud related haunts, but besides that, the Island is such a calming place. It’s a small place, so everything is fairly accessible, and there is a closeness that you can feel too, like nothing really bad could happen there. It sounds silly, and it might be because I had the holiday rose tinted sunnies on, but there is something undramatically beautiful about driving through that landscape of rolling hills. And when you turn off the paved road onto the country road, it really is red. So maybe it is the Island’s soil infusing the place with a rosy glow. 

In the lead up to my trip I’ll be going through my photos from last September. Each week, I’ll be taking you along to all the places I went, the views I saw, and I’ll be sure to let you know all of the places I got emotional, as well as a few things to do if you are travelling with a kindred spirit who is not yet a Maud fan. Hopefully, I will inspire you to take your own trip to this lovely gem of a place off the East Coast of Canada, Prince Edward Island.

***If you got something out of this post, please consider subscribing to my blog. You can find the email sign up on the right hand side at the top of this page (on desktop version only), or click on the link here. You will receive a confirmation email in your inbox (or possibly your junk folder). Once you click to confirm your email address you will receive an email notification whenever a new blog post goes up. And, of course, you can unsubscribe at any time. Feel free to email me if you have any trouble subscribing, or if you just want to chat about books. I would love to hear from you! Whether you subscribe or not, I’m thankful you are here.***

This blog post contains affiliate links for Blackwell’s. As a Blackwell’s Affiliate, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through one of the links on my website. I recommend Blackwell’s because I use them myself. This helps support me in sharing—what I hope is—valuable content. Thank you for your support!

Ending with the photo that has been on desktop for the past year. It brings me joy every time I sit down to work. It may sound cheesy. I’m going to say it anyway. It’s a reminder to not just dream big. But to dream bigger. And then laugh when someone leaves a discarded takeaway coffee right in the middle of your dream (photo).  

December Reading Wrap Up

As I was sick in December and through the start of January, I am a little behind with my reading update and reviews. Okay, okay. I'm A LOT behind. But I've been reading some fabulous books that I am no less excited to share.

All the ⭐️🌟✨💫🌠

The Snowstorm by Beryl Netherclift*

I have been wanting to read this book for ages and it did not disappoint. As it is set in January, I am seriously considering reading this one again soon. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys children's adventure stories, time slip novels, old houses, and snowstorms! This just might make my top ten list of 2023.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Shining like a bright light wherever she goes, Anne is touching and whimsical. She is also cursed with getting herself into scrapes! This is a lovely, heart wrenching book that I would not recommend reading on the train unless you're extremely comfortable with crying in public. This is one children's book that stands up to rereading as an adult.

Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther*

Made up of slice of life episodes that were originally published in The Times, this one is simply a delight! It starts in October and ends on 25 September 1939. My only regret is that I didn't savour this one more. The articles are like potato chips and I finished the entire bag in a couple of sittings. No matter! I will most certainly be rereading this one in the future.

5 ⭐️

Christmas at Fairacre by Miss Read

This is an omnibus containing novels from Miss Read's Fairacre series, The Christmas Mouse and No Holly for Miss Quinn, as well as the short story, "Christmas at Fairacre School". If you like sweet and cosy stories where nothing bad happens, then Miss Read has got you covered. These are stories for when you are feeling a bit fragile and need nurturing. I try to reread this book every December.

Cherry Ames, Student Nurse by Helen Wells

Cherry Ames has dreamed of becoming a nurse. She is certain it is her calling, but does she have what it takes to withstand the training? Will she get her cap at the end of probation or will she be asked to leave? I'm not going to lie to you. This one made me cry. I suspect I'm growing soft in my old age! 

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery

This book is funny and delightful. Full of the delicious flights of fancy that readers of the first book in the series, Anne of Green Gables, will recognize and love. For me, this book has less raw emotion compared to Anne of Green Gables, but it makes for a more comfortable reading experience. I had not read this one since I was a child, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it stands up to my memory of it.

Christmas with Rosamunde Pilcher by Rosamunde Pilcher, Andreas von Einsiedler (Photographer), Siv Bublitz (Editor)

This is a lovely book containing photographs of the writer, Rosamunde Pilcher, and her family at her home in Scotland at Christmas. She shares her favourite Christmas memories, family traditions, and recipes. It also contains one of my favourite short stories by her, "Miss Cameron at Christmas". I have borrowed this book from my library every December for the last three years. I really ought to find myself a copy, because the month wouldn't be the same without a reread of this lovely book.

Peter's Room by Antonia Forest

This is the fifth book in Antonia Forest's Marlow series. In part, these books are boarding school stories, but unlike many books from that genre, we also get to see the children at home. In this one, it is the start of the Christmas holidays and the entirety of the book takes place before the children go back to school. 

Peter Marlow clears out a disused outbuilding and claims it as his own, but the building looks pretty appealing to a few of the other children too. Soon, the twins, Nicola and Lawrie, along with Ginty, and their neighbour, Patrick Merrick, are all spending time there. Ginty, who has been studying the Brontës at school, is fascinated by Gondal, the make-believe land the Brontës created. When she suggests they create a Gondal of their own, some of the children are more game than others to play along. But before long their make-believe world begins to blur the lines of reality. 

Although, it is set over the Christmas holidays, this is not a Christmas book. Which is fine with me, as it does not claim to be. I have to admit, when I realized that full chapters were taken up with the story the children are telling themselves, I was a little worried it would get boring. Let me tell you, I was not bored in the least! This book has such an odd (not to mention, a bit unlikely) premise, but Antonia Forest makes it work. I should have know she would! Highly recommend!

4.5 ⭐️

Mistletoe Malice by Kathleen Farrell

A dysfunctional family congregated over Christmas at the matriarchal home. Starting the day before Christmas, and set over four days, tensions rise as the festivities reach their climax.

I rarely read book summaries before diving into a book, so I did not read the summary through to the end before starting this book. Thankfully, that meant I didn't going into this one with the expectation that a Christmas tree would explode only to be disappointed, like a lot of readers were. 

It also didn't remind me of Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalet Chronicles, which is referenced on the cover. And the comparison of Kathleen Farrell's writing to Elizabeth Taylor's, as it is on the back cover, creates unrealistic expectations, in my opinion.

However, I really enjoyed this book and I would love to read more of Kathleen Farrell's books. I would love it if Faber were to republish all of her books, because vintage copies are impossible to find online.

The only reason this wasn't a five star read for me is because there was a little too much exposition for my liking. I would have preferred some things to be left unsaid so I could come to my own conclusions. After a while I got used to the style, but I still would have liked to have gone through and given it a good edit. 

This is also not a cosy or particularly festive book. Still, I enjoyed it enough to read it in November, and then again in December and the writing style bothered me less with the second reading.

Country Chronicle by Gladys Taber*

This was my first Gladys Taber and it certainly will not be my last. This book journeys through the seasons at Gladys Taber's seventeenth century Connecticut farmhouse, Stillmeadow. The perfect balance of descriptions of the surrounding landscape, of the animals -- both domestic and wild -- and of her home. When I reached the end I had this incredible urge to immediately start over from the beginning. No doubt, I will be reading this one again soon.

The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because there were a few instances where information was imparted as though it hadn't already been mentioned earlier. Of course, I'm fine when a topic is referred to a second time, but I would prefer that it was not treated as though it were new information. It gives one the unsettling feeling of déjà vu. 

Castle Deadly, Castle Deep by Veronica Bond

This is book two in Veronica Bond's series, A Dinner and A Murder Mystery. Set in the autumn, this is the perfect cosy mystery. There is a castle, a murder, the theatre world, kittens, lots of descriptions of delicious food and the autumnal landscape, not to mention, a lot of sweet characters. I would describe Veronica Bond's books as being a lovely mix of Nancy Drew and Miss Read. Julia Buckley is the writer behind the pseudonym Veronica Bond and I love the books she writes under her own name too, especially her Writer's Apprentice Mystery series. 

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

This book starts on Midwinter's Eve and I cannot think of a more haunting read for this time of year. It is the day before Will Staunton's birthday and his greatest wish is for it to snow. This will be a birthday that he will never forget.

The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is because I found myself questioning the magic system around Will's quest. However, I would not take that as a reflection of the book, rather, on the fact that I rarely read fantasy books and sometimes struggle with suspending my disbelief.

I have to thank Liz (@pony.books) for letting me know that this book can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed this one so much that I plan to go back and start the series from the beginning.

4 ⭐️

The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene, Mildred Wirt (Ghostwriter)

I will be reviewing this one soon, so I won't say too much about it here. It has got an old mansion in it, which the owners believe is haunted. I mean, what more could you want in a mystery book for children?

Cheerfulness Breaks In by Angela Thirkell

This is the ninth book in Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire series. Because I read a fair number of books that are out of print and thus harder to find, I have got into the habit of reading books as I acquire them, which means I frequently read series out of order. Thanks to Virago reprinting them, these books are in print, so there was no reason why I should have read book nine in this series when I had only previously read the first one, High Rising. 

There are so many character names to keep straight with this one that I was more than halfway through before I started enjoying myself. Needless to say, I plan to go back to the beginning and read this series in order. Despite my confusion with the characters, this book still managed to scrape by with a 4-star rating.

Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by M.C. Beaton

The Agatha Raisin series is perfect for when you are ill or have very little bandwidth for reading. I have read the series through once in order and now I'm rereading the odd one as the urge strikes me. Agatha Raisin spends a lot of time getting her hair done in this one as an excuse to dig up the dirt on a hairdresser that seemed a little too good to be true, that is, right up until he died. Isn't it funny how death can change people?

I Visit the Soviets: The Provincial Lady in Russia by E.M. Delafield

About a year ago, Liz recommended this book to me and after rereading The Diary of a Provincial Lady back in November, I finally got myself a copy. I now understand why people say this book is not like E.M. Delafield's other Provincial Lady books.

In this book, she visits Russia after the Revolution while it is under Communism. It feels like even Delafield, with all of her sparking wit, has to work to find the humour in her experiences. There are funny moments, but it is not nearly as light as the first book in this series.

I also found the structure of the book to be a bit odd. The sections were not laid out in chronological order and I really think it would have worked better, and been less confusing, if they had been. 

As a note to anyone thinking of buying the same edition as mine: My copy is missing page 122. That is to say, the page is there but it is blank. It is the first page in a section called, "Margaret Was Right", so it is definitely not supposed to be blank! I'm waiting to hear back from the publisher and hoping they can replace my copy or send me the missing page. 

3 ⭐️

Winter Carnival by Francine Pascal*

When I was young, I read all of the Sweet Valley High books I could get my hands on. I loved reading about twin girls who could not be more different from each other.

It was very odd reading this one as an adult. I remember, I used to find Elizabeth a bit dull, while her sister Jessica was a lot more fun. But what struck me this time was how selfish Jessica is and how Elizabeth (and the rest of her family) simply allow Jessica to walk all over them. More worrying is that the lesson Elizabeth learns at the end is that she should forgive Jessica and be thankful she has a sister. Not a bad lesson to teach kids, but within the context of the story it seemed very misplaced.

There is also a dream sequence that goes on for more than a chapter. I remember reading that part as a kid and thinking that was just the sort of thing we were told not to do in creative writing. I am even more embarrassed than ever to admit how much I loved these books! 

Overall, I would say I had a very productive, and more importantly, enjoyable reading month. I usually read eight to ten books over the course of a month, but as I was sick and we did not have a lot on over the holidays, I had hours of free time to read. Bliss!

All of the books marked with an * were given to me by the lovely Gina (@babsbelovedbooks). Thank you so much, my friend! Like me, Gina rang in the New Year by starting a book blog! You can find her beautiful blog here. I am so excited for her!

Fingers crossed, I hope to have my first post for 56 Weeks with Nancy Drew up tomorrow.

How did your reading go in December? Did you read an old favourite or, perhaps, find a new one? Please, let me know in the comments. I would love to hear about what you have been reading!