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Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans
In this heartwarming collection of nineteen short stories L.M. Montgomery returns to the enchanting shores of beautiful Prince Edward Island to tell about orphans much like Anne of Green Gables -- vulnerable, sensitive, and full of hope and courage. There's the lonely young girl on a quest for a real-life mother, a budding artist who dreams of fame and fortune, and old family quilt that unites two sisters with a long-lost relative, an ancient Egyptian doll that invokes an unusual spell for a little girl yearning for a special friend. L.M. Montgomery brings to life a magical place and a circle of characters who will long be treasured and remembered.
255 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 1988
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About the author
L.M. Montgomery
2,094 books13k followersLucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
Montgomery was born at Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Nov. 30, 1874. She came to live at Leaskdale, north of Uxbridge Ontario, after her wedding with Rev. Ewen Macdonald on July 11, 1911. She had three children and wrote close to a dozen books while she was living in the Leaskdale Manse before the family moved to Norval, Ontario in 1926. She died in Toronto April 24, 1942 and was buried at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.
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December 19, 2020
Chyba najlepszy zbiór opowiadań Montgomery!
December 31, 2024
Although I do not enjoy (and actually have never liked) all of the presented stories featured in L.M. Montgomery's Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans equally, I do always love, love, love rereading especially this very collection of sweet and tenderly touching, sometimes perhaps even verging a bit on the maudlin orphan themed accounts (and often engage in a reread of Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans when I am feeling down and need comforting and cheer).
Now while I personally simply and utterly adore Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans (and also think that considering Lucy Maud Montgomery's own biography, she obviously also sees herself reflected in her featured protagonists), I can and do understand and even appreciate why some readers and indeed even diehard L.M. Montgomery fans would perhaps consider especially this very collection of tales as rather formulaic and repetitive. However, it should (no actually, it must) also be remembered that the stories encountered in Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans were in fact originally published separately and at different times, in a variety of magazines and journals. Thus, L.M. Montgomery did not publish these tales together as a whole and they were collected and published as "tales of other orphans" (with a similar main theme) by editor Rea Wilmshurst, who I think has done an essential service and marvellous job, amassing and publishing eight distinct thematic L.M. Montgomery short story collections, all featuring not only the presented, collected tales themselves, but enlightening and erudite forewords and available publishing information (and this would likely have continued, had Ms. Wilmshurst not unfortunately died at an early age).
And really, the only minor caveat and advice I would tend to give to potential readers for Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans (and this actually pertains to all eight books in the Rea Wilmshurst as editor series) is to make sure to read the foreword AFTER having perused the main text, the collected stories, if one wants to avoid possible spoilers (since Wilmshurst's introduction is basically a generally rather detailed literary analysis of the tales featured and does mention a lot of contents based details).
Now while I personally simply and utterly adore Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans (and also think that considering Lucy Maud Montgomery's own biography, she obviously also sees herself reflected in her featured protagonists), I can and do understand and even appreciate why some readers and indeed even diehard L.M. Montgomery fans would perhaps consider especially this very collection of tales as rather formulaic and repetitive. However, it should (no actually, it must) also be remembered that the stories encountered in Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans were in fact originally published separately and at different times, in a variety of magazines and journals. Thus, L.M. Montgomery did not publish these tales together as a whole and they were collected and published as "tales of other orphans" (with a similar main theme) by editor Rea Wilmshurst, who I think has done an essential service and marvellous job, amassing and publishing eight distinct thematic L.M. Montgomery short story collections, all featuring not only the presented, collected tales themselves, but enlightening and erudite forewords and available publishing information (and this would likely have continued, had Ms. Wilmshurst not unfortunately died at an early age).
And really, the only minor caveat and advice I would tend to give to potential readers for Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans (and this actually pertains to all eight books in the Rea Wilmshurst as editor series) is to make sure to read the foreword AFTER having perused the main text, the collected stories, if one wants to avoid possible spoilers (since Wilmshurst's introduction is basically a generally rather detailed literary analysis of the tales featured and does mention a lot of contents based details).
January 20, 2020
With the publication of this initial volume of tales in 1988, L.M. Montgomery scholar Rea Wilmshurst began presenting the author's long-forgotten shorter fiction - Montgomery published over five hundred stories in various magazines and journals, in her lifetime - to the world, making much of it available to contemporary readers for the very first time. Seven more collections, all arranged thematically, were to follow, from
Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea
, published the year after this debut title, to
Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories
, the eighth and final Montgomery anthology to be edited by Wilmshurst. Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans, as its title and subtitle suggest, contains selections whose protagonist are in some way akin to Anne Shirley, Montgomery's most famous creation. Whether young orphans in need of a home, or struggling students and/or shop-girls who could use a little help, these characters all share the desire for a family to love, and a home in which they can feel safe and secure. The fulfillment of that desire, through story-lines sentimental or poignant, might be said to be the overarching theme of the book. Here we have:
Charlotte's Quest, in which quiet, grave young Charlotte Laurence, unhappy in the boisterous, crowded home of her Aunt Florence, in whose care she had been placed by her mountain-climbing father, sets out to see Witch Penny, in the hopes of finding a mother of her own. Carefully following the instructions she is given, Charlotte finds her way to the "grey stone house with the door like a cat's tongue," where she finds, not a mother, but someone almost as dear...
Marcella's Reward, which sees shop-girl Marcella Langley - tired, worn out, and terribly worried about her frail younger sister Patty, for whom she can do so little on her modest salary - enduring a trying morning at the hands of a rude and abusive customer. Her hard-won self control brings its reward, however, when an observer, commiserating with her afterward, uncovers a most unexpected connection.
An Invitation Given on Impulse, which chronicles the wholly unexpected (and delightful) results, when popular Carol Golden, nicknamed "Golden Carol" by her fellow students at Oaklawn, decides to invite the quiet, prickly school outcast, Ruth Mannering, home with her for the Christmas holidays.
Freda's Adopted Grave, which relates the story of a ten-year-old orphan who, being the only girl in the village of North Point without a grave to tend, on Graveyard Day, adopts the neglected, long-forgotten resting place of a local convict, tending to it as if its occupant were her own kin. When someone with a connection to that grave unexpectedly turns up, Freda's unintentional kindness leads to a new friendship, and eventually, to a new life.
Ted's Afternoon Off, in which a much-overworked farm boy, looking forward to his first afternoon off in four years, instead sacrifices his long anticipated treat (the Sunday School picnic) to keep a crippled young neighbor company, when his mother is called away. Ted's remarkable skill with a violin, employed in full to entertain his young charge, leads to an unexpected friendship, when a noted concert violinist - who, naturally, just happens to be passing - hears his playing.
The Girl Who Drove the Cows, in which Pauline Palmer, a city girl vacationing in the country, strikes up a friendship with local farm-girl Ada Cameron, despite the objections of her (Pauline's) snobby Aunt Olivia, and, through a photograph of her new companion, brings to light her connection to .
Why Not Ask Miss Price?, which sees two sisters, Frances and Alma Allan, extending an unexpected invitation for Thanksgiving dinner to local schoolteacher Miss Bertha Price, when their own Aunt Clara cannot attend, thereby effecting a reunion between long-lost siblings.
Jane Lavinia, in which the eponymous heroine, a talented young artist all set to leave her harsh and frequently sarcastic Aunt Rebecca for a stay in New York, where her talent will be cultivated, makes a surprising discovery about her seemingly uncaring relative - a discovery that casts a new light on her choice to leave her behind.
The Running Away of Chester, which follows the adventures of young Chester Stephens, an overworked and much-abused young orphan boy, nominally being 'cared for' by his step-aunt, Mrs. Harriet Elwell, but in reality being asked to do the work of a grown man, for very little in return, who runs away, first to the city, and then to another country village. Here he finds work at Mount Hope Farm, the home of kindly Miss Salome Whitney, and her stern (but equally kind) handmaiden, Clemantiny. Treated kindly for the first time in his life, Chester grows to love his benefactress, but also comes to believe that she would never approve of his actions, in running away.
Millicent's Double, in which two schoolgirls of a remarkably similar appearance - Millicent Moore and Worth Gordon - strike up a friendship, and find themselves constantly being mistaken for one another. When Millicent asks her 'double' to go in her place to a dinner party, because she has had two invitations, neither of which she feels she can turn down, Worth agrees, only to realize later that her masquerade is a form of dishonesty. In the course of setting matters straight, she discovers something extraordinary about her host and hostess.
Penelope's Party Waist, which sees sisters Doris and Penelope Hunter just barely scraping by on Doris' modest earnings as typewriter, with nothing left over for little extras like new party clothes. When Penelope turns down an invitation, because she has nothing to wear to the occasion, Doris, determined that her younger sister shall have a treat, takes matters into her own hands, and uses the lining of an heirloom family quilt to make a new party waist for her. This seemingly sacrilegious act brings unexpected blessings to the pair, when someone recognizes the material in Penolope's 'new' garment.
The Little Black Doll, in which Joyce, an awkward and plain young orphan in the care of her Grandmother Marshall, who seems only to value those with beauty or talent, sets out to find the famed soprano Madame Laurin, in the hopes of convincing her to sing for Denise, the family's fatally ill French maid, and Joyce's only friend. Willing to sacrifice her only possession of value - a four-thousand year-old Egyptian doll - to convince Madame Laurin to sing, Joyce instead finds a champion, someone who recognizes her own special musical gift, and who makes Grandmother Marshall aware of it.
The Fraser Scholarship, in which a poor but studious boy, going by the name Elliott Campbell, wins the coveted Fraser Scholarship, only to discover that the conditions of the scholarship trust eliminate him as a candidate, if he is honest about his true birth name. After a sharp struggle, Elliott tells the truth - Campbell is his adoptive name, not his birth name - but rather than losing out, he finds something even better than the scholarship.
Her Own People, which sees schoolteacher Miss Constance Foster, embittered by the hardships of her life, even to the point of feeling hostile indifference to God, softened by a summer stay in the lovely village of Pine Valley, where she finds the family she has always wanted - people she can call her own.
Miss Sally's Company, in which Mary and Ida Seymour, the daughters of one of Trenton's preeminent citizens, find themselves wishing they were "Cousin Abner's girls," when they stumble across the lovely seaside cottage of Golden Gate, during a country cycle, and meet its charming, sweet-natured owner, Miss Sally Temple. The Seymour sisters soon learn that Miss Sally is continually hoping for a visit from her cousin's daughters, Beatrice and Helen, and through their influence as social leaders, they see to it that she gets the company she both desires and deserves.
The Story of an Invitation, which sees Bertha Sutherland, conscious that Grace Maxwell, her roommate and friend at Dartmouth Academy, is in poor health, and unable to withstand the rigors of working all summer - something she would need to do, to earn her keep, having no family or friends to visit - scheming to have her own invitation to her Aunt Margaret's for the summer, transferred to her companion. Although regretting the sacrifice of her aunt's company, Bertha is rewarded by the long-term consequences of her choice, and the happiness it brings both Grace and Aunt Margaret.
The Softening of Miss Cynthia, in which spinster Cynthia Henderson, finding a young orphan boy - the son of her step-brother John, long ago emigrated to California - deposited on her doorstep, hardheartedly refuses him a home, sending him to a neighbor to work as a farm-hand instead. But as the year wears on, and young Wilbur begins to fail under the harsh treatment he receives, Cynthia slowly begins to soften, and to recall the love she once had for the boy's father. Will she be in time to put right her mistake, when Wilbur falls deathly ill...?
Margaret's Patient sees its eponymous heroine, Margaret Campbell, happily settled with a small inheritance left to her by a cantankerous and demanding former patient, faced with a difficult choice when the local schoolteacher falls ill and needs care, and the doctor asks her to lend a hand. After years of being a paid companion and nurse, Margaret is finally independent and free, and planning a trip to Vancouver. But can she leave poor Freda Martin, with no family and no resources, to her fate, having once been as poor and friendless as she? Her eventual decision, although seemingly a sacrifice, brings a discovery that more than compensates for her temporary trouble.
Finally, ending with a Charlotte (as we began), we have Charlotte's Ladies, which sees a young orphan names Charlotte Turner befriending two women she "meets," through gaps in the orphan asylum's fence. The Pretty Lady with the Blue Eyes and the Tall Lady with the Black Eyes (and the VERY Handsome Cat), make wonderful friends, but when they both end up wanting to adopt Charlotte, problems ensue, for they are none other than two bitterly estranged sisters. Can their love for her overcome their long quarrel?
As the above précis no doubt make plain, there is a great deal of repetition of theme (and even of plot-line) in these nineteen stories, which were not, after all, originally written to be collected together, as they are in this volume, but for individual publication in far-flung periodicals. I can certainly understand why this repetitiveness might irritate some readers - I see that quite a few online reviewers have less-than-positive feelings about Akin to Anne - but the truth is, I have always loved this collection! Yes, the theme of finding long-lost relatives, and/or safe homes, recurs again and again, but since I enjoy that type of story, this doesn't concern me unduly. Some of the selections here are rather slight - Her Own People feels the least convincing to me - but others are just lovely. Many of them were written before Montgomery's classic Anne of Green Gables , and I have always thought that they indicate how she was working her way through this idea of the orphan seeking a family and a home, slowly perfecting it. It's not perfect here, in these stories - Montgomery isn't there yet - but it's still quite engaging. Highly recommended to all L.M. Montgomery fans, and to any reader who enjoys orphan stories!
Charlotte's Quest, in which quiet, grave young Charlotte Laurence, unhappy in the boisterous, crowded home of her Aunt Florence, in whose care she had been placed by her mountain-climbing father, sets out to see Witch Penny, in the hopes of finding a mother of her own. Carefully following the instructions she is given, Charlotte finds her way to the "grey stone house with the door like a cat's tongue," where she finds, not a mother, but someone almost as dear...
Marcella's Reward, which sees shop-girl Marcella Langley - tired, worn out, and terribly worried about her frail younger sister Patty, for whom she can do so little on her modest salary - enduring a trying morning at the hands of a rude and abusive customer. Her hard-won self control brings its reward, however, when an observer, commiserating with her afterward, uncovers a most unexpected connection.
An Invitation Given on Impulse, which chronicles the wholly unexpected (and delightful) results, when popular Carol Golden, nicknamed "Golden Carol" by her fellow students at Oaklawn, decides to invite the quiet, prickly school outcast, Ruth Mannering, home with her for the Christmas holidays.
Freda's Adopted Grave, which relates the story of a ten-year-old orphan who, being the only girl in the village of North Point without a grave to tend, on Graveyard Day, adopts the neglected, long-forgotten resting place of a local convict, tending to it as if its occupant were her own kin. When someone with a connection to that grave unexpectedly turns up, Freda's unintentional kindness leads to a new friendship, and eventually, to a new life.
Ted's Afternoon Off, in which a much-overworked farm boy, looking forward to his first afternoon off in four years, instead sacrifices his long anticipated treat (the Sunday School picnic) to keep a crippled young neighbor company, when his mother is called away. Ted's remarkable skill with a violin, employed in full to entertain his young charge, leads to an unexpected friendship, when a noted concert violinist - who, naturally, just happens to be passing - hears his playing.
The Girl Who Drove the Cows, in which Pauline Palmer, a city girl vacationing in the country, strikes up a friendship with local farm-girl Ada Cameron, despite the objections of her (Pauline's) snobby Aunt Olivia, and, through a photograph of her new companion, brings to light her connection to .
Why Not Ask Miss Price?, which sees two sisters, Frances and Alma Allan, extending an unexpected invitation for Thanksgiving dinner to local schoolteacher Miss Bertha Price, when their own Aunt Clara cannot attend, thereby effecting a reunion between long-lost siblings.
Jane Lavinia, in which the eponymous heroine, a talented young artist all set to leave her harsh and frequently sarcastic Aunt Rebecca for a stay in New York, where her talent will be cultivated, makes a surprising discovery about her seemingly uncaring relative - a discovery that casts a new light on her choice to leave her behind.
The Running Away of Chester, which follows the adventures of young Chester Stephens, an overworked and much-abused young orphan boy, nominally being 'cared for' by his step-aunt, Mrs. Harriet Elwell, but in reality being asked to do the work of a grown man, for very little in return, who runs away, first to the city, and then to another country village. Here he finds work at Mount Hope Farm, the home of kindly Miss Salome Whitney, and her stern (but equally kind) handmaiden, Clemantiny. Treated kindly for the first time in his life, Chester grows to love his benefactress, but also comes to believe that she would never approve of his actions, in running away.
Millicent's Double, in which two schoolgirls of a remarkably similar appearance - Millicent Moore and Worth Gordon - strike up a friendship, and find themselves constantly being mistaken for one another. When Millicent asks her 'double' to go in her place to a dinner party, because she has had two invitations, neither of which she feels she can turn down, Worth agrees, only to realize later that her masquerade is a form of dishonesty. In the course of setting matters straight, she discovers something extraordinary about her host and hostess.
Penelope's Party Waist, which sees sisters Doris and Penelope Hunter just barely scraping by on Doris' modest earnings as typewriter, with nothing left over for little extras like new party clothes. When Penelope turns down an invitation, because she has nothing to wear to the occasion, Doris, determined that her younger sister shall have a treat, takes matters into her own hands, and uses the lining of an heirloom family quilt to make a new party waist for her. This seemingly sacrilegious act brings unexpected blessings to the pair, when someone recognizes the material in Penolope's 'new' garment.
The Little Black Doll, in which Joyce, an awkward and plain young orphan in the care of her Grandmother Marshall, who seems only to value those with beauty or talent, sets out to find the famed soprano Madame Laurin, in the hopes of convincing her to sing for Denise, the family's fatally ill French maid, and Joyce's only friend. Willing to sacrifice her only possession of value - a four-thousand year-old Egyptian doll - to convince Madame Laurin to sing, Joyce instead finds a champion, someone who recognizes her own special musical gift, and who makes Grandmother Marshall aware of it.
The Fraser Scholarship, in which a poor but studious boy, going by the name Elliott Campbell, wins the coveted Fraser Scholarship, only to discover that the conditions of the scholarship trust eliminate him as a candidate, if he is honest about his true birth name. After a sharp struggle, Elliott tells the truth - Campbell is his adoptive name, not his birth name - but rather than losing out, he finds something even better than the scholarship.
Her Own People, which sees schoolteacher Miss Constance Foster, embittered by the hardships of her life, even to the point of feeling hostile indifference to God, softened by a summer stay in the lovely village of Pine Valley, where she finds the family she has always wanted - people she can call her own.
Miss Sally's Company, in which Mary and Ida Seymour, the daughters of one of Trenton's preeminent citizens, find themselves wishing they were "Cousin Abner's girls," when they stumble across the lovely seaside cottage of Golden Gate, during a country cycle, and meet its charming, sweet-natured owner, Miss Sally Temple. The Seymour sisters soon learn that Miss Sally is continually hoping for a visit from her cousin's daughters, Beatrice and Helen, and through their influence as social leaders, they see to it that she gets the company she both desires and deserves.
The Story of an Invitation, which sees Bertha Sutherland, conscious that Grace Maxwell, her roommate and friend at Dartmouth Academy, is in poor health, and unable to withstand the rigors of working all summer - something she would need to do, to earn her keep, having no family or friends to visit - scheming to have her own invitation to her Aunt Margaret's for the summer, transferred to her companion. Although regretting the sacrifice of her aunt's company, Bertha is rewarded by the long-term consequences of her choice, and the happiness it brings both Grace and Aunt Margaret.
The Softening of Miss Cynthia, in which spinster Cynthia Henderson, finding a young orphan boy - the son of her step-brother John, long ago emigrated to California - deposited on her doorstep, hardheartedly refuses him a home, sending him to a neighbor to work as a farm-hand instead. But as the year wears on, and young Wilbur begins to fail under the harsh treatment he receives, Cynthia slowly begins to soften, and to recall the love she once had for the boy's father. Will she be in time to put right her mistake, when Wilbur falls deathly ill...?
Margaret's Patient sees its eponymous heroine, Margaret Campbell, happily settled with a small inheritance left to her by a cantankerous and demanding former patient, faced with a difficult choice when the local schoolteacher falls ill and needs care, and the doctor asks her to lend a hand. After years of being a paid companion and nurse, Margaret is finally independent and free, and planning a trip to Vancouver. But can she leave poor Freda Martin, with no family and no resources, to her fate, having once been as poor and friendless as she? Her eventual decision, although seemingly a sacrifice, brings a discovery that more than compensates for her temporary trouble.
Finally, ending with a Charlotte (as we began), we have Charlotte's Ladies, which sees a young orphan names Charlotte Turner befriending two women she "meets," through gaps in the orphan asylum's fence. The Pretty Lady with the Blue Eyes and the Tall Lady with the Black Eyes (and the VERY Handsome Cat), make wonderful friends, but when they both end up wanting to adopt Charlotte, problems ensue, for they are none other than two bitterly estranged sisters. Can their love for her overcome their long quarrel?
As the above précis no doubt make plain, there is a great deal of repetition of theme (and even of plot-line) in these nineteen stories, which were not, after all, originally written to be collected together, as they are in this volume, but for individual publication in far-flung periodicals. I can certainly understand why this repetitiveness might irritate some readers - I see that quite a few online reviewers have less-than-positive feelings about Akin to Anne - but the truth is, I have always loved this collection! Yes, the theme of finding long-lost relatives, and/or safe homes, recurs again and again, but since I enjoy that type of story, this doesn't concern me unduly. Some of the selections here are rather slight - Her Own People feels the least convincing to me - but others are just lovely. Many of them were written before Montgomery's classic Anne of Green Gables , and I have always thought that they indicate how she was working her way through this idea of the orphan seeking a family and a home, slowly perfecting it. It's not perfect here, in these stories - Montgomery isn't there yet - but it's still quite engaging. Highly recommended to all L.M. Montgomery fans, and to any reader who enjoys orphan stories!
September 1, 2018
This is a little book full of dear little stories all about orphans. It was a quick, light read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really liked seeing how LMM crafts her short stories and brings her characters to life in such few pages. All these short stories were published at different times in different papers, but then have been gathered together to form a themed anthology. Good idea, but it does make for some very repetitive reading. But that is really the only downer from this book - the repetitiveness of 'finding long-lost cousins or half-sister's children or step-brother's granchild' or whatever... But keeping in mind that these stories were not meant to be read all together does help. And there are some really lovely stories within this book! Some of my favourites are: 'The Running Away of Chester', 'The Girl Who Drove the Cows', and 'Millicent's Double'. If you love LMM's style of writing, then this book is one for you! :)
January 31, 2019
If you're a LM Montgomery enthusiast, then you will want to check this book out. If you've never read LM Montgomery, then avoid this book. Some of the stories are just not that good, and many have cheesy/happy endings. Some of the endings are so convenient and happy that you kind of want to gag. The collection is nothing special on its own, really. It's kinda like a collection of 'scribbles' from the mind of an author who came up with many good stories (Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon, The Blue Castle, etc) It should only be read as part of the LM Montgomery collection - read Anne of Green Gables first. and if you've already read/are a fan of her works, then try this one. Just don't expect anything spectacular, this book is a fairly quick read.
January 19, 2024
This has not been my week, and I desperately needed some comfort reading. I reached for a collection of short stories by LM Montgomery and found exactly what I wanted and needed.
This is, as the title says, a collection of stories about orphans. The introduction says that these stories culminated in the making of LMM's most famous work, but actually, only *some* of these stories were published before Anne of Green Gables. There is a common thread to all, however: people longing for family. The orphans in this collection range in age from young children to grown adults. Almost all of them follow the same story arc: a poor orphan discovers long-lost blood relatives who welcome them with open arms, generally because they bear an uncanny resemblance to long-dead siblings.
My personal favorites are "The Running Away of Chester" (by far the longest story, with the best developed characters), "Charlotte's Quest," and "Freda's Adopted Grave."
If you're looking for variety, look elsewhere: this is all about the cozy feeling that these sorts of sentimental stories evoke. If you need or want a good dose of it, this is an excellent collection!
This is, as the title says, a collection of stories about orphans. The introduction says that these stories culminated in the making of LMM's most famous work, but actually, only *some* of these stories were published before Anne of Green Gables. There is a common thread to all, however: people longing for family. The orphans in this collection range in age from young children to grown adults. Almost all of them follow the same story arc: a poor orphan discovers long-lost blood relatives who welcome them with open arms, generally because they bear an uncanny resemblance to long-dead siblings.
My personal favorites are "The Running Away of Chester" (by far the longest story, with the best developed characters), "Charlotte's Quest," and "Freda's Adopted Grave."
If you're looking for variety, look elsewhere: this is all about the cozy feeling that these sorts of sentimental stories evoke. If you need or want a good dose of it, this is an excellent collection!
June 7, 2021
2.5 stars
This collection of short stories is all about orphan girls (and maybe a couple boys) in Canada who all happen to find a long lost relative to care for them by the end of the story (and if not a long lost relative, then someone who was close to their dead parents or something else of that nature). If I had only read a story or two, I would have said it's heart-warming, but nearly 20 stories that were so similar and had none of the magic of Anne of Green Gables? I don't think this is a collection I'll be re-visiting, and has really challenged my goal of trying to read all of LMM's works. I don't know if I'll be able to make it through several more short story collections like this one.
This collection of short stories is all about orphan girls (and maybe a couple boys) in Canada who all happen to find a long lost relative to care for them by the end of the story (and if not a long lost relative, then someone who was close to their dead parents or something else of that nature). If I had only read a story or two, I would have said it's heart-warming, but nearly 20 stories that were so similar and had none of the magic of Anne of Green Gables? I don't think this is a collection I'll be re-visiting, and has really challenged my goal of trying to read all of LMM's works. I don't know if I'll be able to make it through several more short story collections like this one.
March 9, 2025
March 2025 reread:
I did not enjoy this one as much as a whole. While other themed collections have plenty of variation, this one does get repetitive. Almost every story features someone saying "So and so reminds me of someone" and then soon discovering an unknown relative. I do very much appreciate, however, how most of the stories involve an act of sacrifice that the characters make without knowing they will be blessed for it.
The first and last stories possess the most charm. I'm tempted to say LMM was at her best when writing from the perspective of children.
Still, for some reason I can't beat to knock off stars! Perhaps because the subject of orphans was so close to Montgomery's heart.
***
I love this collection! Even though each story's theme is basically the same: virtue rewarded and orphans meeting long-lost relatives or relative's friends by chance and being recognized by them as resembling family members.
But I don't find the stories repetitive. Each one has a unique set of characters, whose thoughts and dialogues are very enjoyable and even inspiring. There isn't one story I dislike, though some are more forgettable than others.
My favorites are...
Charlotte's Quest
Marcella's Reward
Jane Lavinia
The Little Black Doll (though poor Denise isn't mentioned again at the end)
Her Own People
Miss Sally's Company
Charlotte's Ladies (I love the 'gaps' in the asylum fence and Charlotte's personality)
I did not enjoy this one as much as a whole. While other themed collections have plenty of variation, this one does get repetitive. Almost every story features someone saying "So and so reminds me of someone" and then soon discovering an unknown relative. I do very much appreciate, however, how most of the stories involve an act of sacrifice that the characters make without knowing they will be blessed for it.
The first and last stories possess the most charm. I'm tempted to say LMM was at her best when writing from the perspective of children.
Still, for some reason I can't beat to knock off stars! Perhaps because the subject of orphans was so close to Montgomery's heart.
***
I love this collection! Even though each story's theme is basically the same: virtue rewarded and orphans meeting long-lost relatives or relative's friends by chance and being recognized by them as resembling family members.
But I don't find the stories repetitive. Each one has a unique set of characters, whose thoughts and dialogues are very enjoyable and even inspiring. There isn't one story I dislike, though some are more forgettable than others.
My favorites are...
Charlotte's Quest
Marcella's Reward
Jane Lavinia
The Little Black Doll (though poor Denise isn't mentioned again at the end)
Her Own People
Miss Sally's Company
Charlotte's Ladies (I love the 'gaps' in the asylum fence and Charlotte's personality)
September 16, 2010
When reading this collection of stories it is important to remember that they were never intended to be read together. They were all written for publication in magazines and newspapers, often months or years apart. Although I enjoyed reading 'Akin to Anne', I have to admit that perhaps grouping them together by theme might not have been the best idea. Reading the same plot over and over again can be tiresome, so I'm quite glad that I read a different story or two each day for a fortnight. There were some stories that, while being mildly enjoyable, I've probably already forgotten, and others that I thoroughly enjoyed and found very sweet. Below is a list of the stories included in this collection, arranged depending on how much I liked them. I do recommend this book to fans of L. M. Montgomery as each story features her lovely and memorable style of writing. But I'd suggest not to read more than two stories at a time as this can really spoil them. 7/10
Loved:
Charlotte's Quest
The Running Away of Charles
Penelope's Party Waist
Charlotte's Ladies
Enjoyed:
Freda's Adopted Grave
The Girl Who Drove the Cows
Jane Lavinia
Millicent's Double
The Little Black Doll
Her Own People
Average:
Marcella's Reward
An Invitation Given On Impulse
Ted's Afternoon Off
Why Not Ask Miss Price?
The Fraser Scholarship
The Story of an Invitation
The Softening of Miss Cynthia
Margaret's Patient
Loved:
Charlotte's Quest
The Running Away of Charles
Penelope's Party Waist
Charlotte's Ladies
Enjoyed:
Freda's Adopted Grave
The Girl Who Drove the Cows
Jane Lavinia
Millicent's Double
The Little Black Doll
Her Own People
Average:
Marcella's Reward
An Invitation Given On Impulse
Ted's Afternoon Off
Why Not Ask Miss Price?
The Fraser Scholarship
The Story of an Invitation
The Softening of Miss Cynthia
Margaret's Patient
June 29, 2020
This is a nice collection of sweet orphan tales by a consummate storyteller. The stories are a wee bit formulaic: orphan longs for family and/or a life dream; then a providential twist of fate brings them together with a new family--often discovering against all odds a long lost blood relative. Playfulness with the theme helps, and it is pretty astounding to read these with her completely different tales of orphan Anne and orphan Emily. Any one of these stories is quite good on its own, though they tend toward smiling moralism. I liked "The Running Away of Chester" the best, the "The Fraser Scholarship" includes a complex moral choice that is satisfying.
January 29, 2024
3.5 rounded down. This was very very cutesy and fun. There was nothing life-changing or incredible in here ( i think there was only one line I underlined the whole time), but I enjoyed each of the stories. They all had the same plot but I fell into the rhythm easily and enjoyed it. You’ll never be Anne of Green Gables but that’s okay because no one can be. Wanted more winter vibes from this but it was all spring/summer maybe fall. Which makes sense because if you’re going to be in PEI you’re going to write about the times when it is beautiful (though I am sure that is the case in the winter to). I would have EATEN THIS UP as a kid so it fed my inner child quite well. Lucy Maud Montgomery is good for the soul.
February 14, 2025
Probably best read a story or two every few days, as back to back to back tends to dry them out. I didn't care as much for the ones where the long lost relative (sub)plot was completely out of left field and felt like an afterthought on the last page.
October 23, 2020
Really enjoyed reading the stores about orphans.
April 8, 2025
Another lovely little book. Two stories in particular stood on to me: The Running Away of Chester and The Softening of Miss Cynthia. The latter ended rather heartbreakingly, but the former was a very sweet story and I enjoyed it.
August 8, 2024
5 stars. I have always loved this story collection (AND ITS COVERRRRR). It’s just so sweet and heartwarming!
Charlotte’s Quest
3 stars. So this story starts out with “Witch Penny” and a few rigmaroles about witches & fairies. However, the story makes it rather plain that Penny is NOT a witch, just by the tone and Charlotte's thoughts, though the last two lines are silly. So for that matter, Penny being called a “witch” doesn't much bother me. Aside from that, I really enjoy the story. The mood and descriptions are lovely, and the characters are splendid—though poor Charlotte, and I dislike her father! I think personally I could edit the story well and enjoy it without the witchy parts.
Marcella’s Reward
5 stars. Marcella is a brick and a wonderful inspiration, and Miss Draper is just hilarious. An excellent story!
An Invitation Given on Impulse
4 stars. This is a sweet, short story, heartwarming and satisfying, with very good characters, plot, and setting for such a little thing! I love school stories—though this one doesn’t take up MUCH time at school—and I love the reunion at the end, though it may be a little stretched… and I really like Ruth and applaud Carol.
Freda's Adopted Grave
3 stars. A very short but very sweet little story. :)
Ted’s Afternoon Off
4 stars. This story is so brief and little described but somehow it really stands out. I’m not sure how Montgomery made it work! Ted’s a sweetheart (and the Js are awful) and Mr. M is so nice...
The Girl Who Drove the Cows
5 stars. This story is sweet and touching and vintagey and humorous all at once. It’s just delightful.
Why Not Ask Miss Price?
3 stars. Again, a very short but sweet little story with lots of feels. <3
Jane Lavinia
4 stars. Sweet Jane Lavinia! Here's another story that I really liked <33 What a great plot!
The Running Away of Chester
5 stars. I have always loved this story, ever since I first read it. It’s sweet and heartwarming, with the loveliest characters—hardworking Chester, innocent Miss Salome, hardboiled and kind-hearted Clementiny… and a hateful villain. Chester’s adventures captured my adventures as a child and still command all my interest, and of course the writing style and humour are excellent. The dénouement is perfectly satisfying, and I adore the old-fashioned, countryside, and small-community feels of the whole piece.
Millicent’s Double
3 stars. A short, cute little story with a fun plot and great characters. :)
Penelope’s Party Waist
3 stars. A really short but super sweet and heartwarming story :)
The Little Black Doll
3 stars. A very short but sweet little story.
Content: A mention that “all music is from God."
The Fraser Scholarship
4 stars. Elliott is a brick and I really like him. This is a very short story without many characters, but they're all amazing.
Her Own People
4 stars. Aww... this story. <33 So sweet! I really like Constance, Aunt Flora, & Uncle Henry; and I loved the message!
Miss Sally’s Company
4 stars. Oh, Miss Sally is so sweet! And I love the message of the story! Mary and Ida are so nice, too. <3
The Story of an Invitation
4 stars. It’s a tiny story, but so sweet and heartwarming! I love Bertha for her unselfishness, and Grace sounds SO lovely, and I love Aunt Meg… Also, for some reason I love college stories.
The Softening of Miss Cynthia
3 stars. What a heart tugging story. <33
Margaret’s Patient
4 stars. This is a sweet little story with a very good moral. I really enjoyed it.
Charlotte’s Ladies
3 stars. This is a sweet little story with some good characters. It’s a little poignant/wistful, all about orphans and widows and motherlessness and loneliness. <3
Charlotte’s Quest
3 stars. So this story starts out with “Witch Penny” and a few rigmaroles about witches & fairies. However, the story makes it rather plain that Penny is NOT a witch, just by the tone and Charlotte's thoughts, though the last two lines are silly. So for that matter, Penny being called a “witch” doesn't much bother me. Aside from that, I really enjoy the story. The mood and descriptions are lovely, and the characters are splendid—though poor Charlotte, and I dislike her father! I think personally I could edit the story well and enjoy it without the witchy parts.
Marcella’s Reward
5 stars. Marcella is a brick and a wonderful inspiration, and Miss Draper is just hilarious. An excellent story!
An Invitation Given on Impulse
4 stars. This is a sweet, short story, heartwarming and satisfying, with very good characters, plot, and setting for such a little thing! I love school stories—though this one doesn’t take up MUCH time at school—and I love the reunion at the end, though it may be a little stretched… and I really like Ruth and applaud Carol.
Freda's Adopted Grave
3 stars. A very short but very sweet little story. :)
Ted’s Afternoon Off
4 stars. This story is so brief and little described but somehow it really stands out. I’m not sure how Montgomery made it work! Ted’s a sweetheart (and the Js are awful) and Mr. M is so nice...
The Girl Who Drove the Cows
5 stars. This story is sweet and touching and vintagey and humorous all at once. It’s just delightful.
Why Not Ask Miss Price?
3 stars. Again, a very short but sweet little story with lots of feels. <3
Jane Lavinia
4 stars. Sweet Jane Lavinia! Here's another story that I really liked <33 What a great plot!
The Running Away of Chester
5 stars. I have always loved this story, ever since I first read it. It’s sweet and heartwarming, with the loveliest characters—hardworking Chester, innocent Miss Salome, hardboiled and kind-hearted Clementiny… and a hateful villain. Chester’s adventures captured my adventures as a child and still command all my interest, and of course the writing style and humour are excellent. The dénouement is perfectly satisfying, and I adore the old-fashioned, countryside, and small-community feels of the whole piece.
Millicent’s Double
3 stars. A short, cute little story with a fun plot and great characters. :)
Penelope’s Party Waist
3 stars. A really short but super sweet and heartwarming story :)
The Little Black Doll
3 stars. A very short but sweet little story.
Content: A mention that “all music is from God."
The Fraser Scholarship
4 stars. Elliott is a brick and I really like him. This is a very short story without many characters, but they're all amazing.
Her Own People
4 stars. Aww... this story. <33 So sweet! I really like Constance, Aunt Flora, & Uncle Henry; and I loved the message!
Miss Sally’s Company
4 stars. Oh, Miss Sally is so sweet! And I love the message of the story! Mary and Ida are so nice, too. <3
The Story of an Invitation
4 stars. It’s a tiny story, but so sweet and heartwarming! I love Bertha for her unselfishness, and Grace sounds SO lovely, and I love Aunt Meg… Also, for some reason I love college stories.
The Softening of Miss Cynthia
3 stars. What a heart tugging story. <33
Margaret’s Patient
4 stars. This is a sweet little story with a very good moral. I really enjoyed it.
Charlotte’s Ladies
3 stars. This is a sweet little story with some good characters. It’s a little poignant/wistful, all about orphans and widows and motherlessness and loneliness. <3
July 2, 2016
3.5 stars, really. This isn't a bad book by any means. It's a perfect read for a time in my life when everything is too hectic for a full novel. The stories are short and sweet and lovely. I didn't adore it but it's a good book.
October 15, 2011
My favorite book of short stories, these are more rereadable then the Green gables books and every single one makes me laugh and cry!
May 1, 2012
formulaic but enjoyable, if you like predictable, heartwarming LMM stories (clearly, i do).
August 15, 2025
I love all LM.Montgomery's collections of short stories, and am happy to add this to my collection. I will be reading this again.
September 12, 2023
While these certainly weren't Montgomery's finest stories, they still had her beautiful descriptions, sweet endings, and, as always, people alone in the world finding homes. ❤️
June 18, 2015
Darling short stories all centered around lost souls young and old who find love and family.
May 8, 2020
Montgomery's novels and short stories circles around the topic of orphans and the possibility of a home. Through her characters, she's constantly questioning what a home is and what it means to be at home; to feel kinship with strangers and to choose your own family.
This short story collection is no exception. In fact, it's populated by orphans, asking questions and searching for a place to belong.
The stories themselves aren't necessarily masterpieces but they offer key insight into Montgomery's most famous works and paved the way for Anne, Emily and Jane. While the structure of the stories seem a bit repetitive when read in one go, they're quite whimsical and wonderful when read over a longer stretch of time, allowing you to tell the characters apart.
This short story collection is no exception. In fact, it's populated by orphans, asking questions and searching for a place to belong.
The stories themselves aren't necessarily masterpieces but they offer key insight into Montgomery's most famous works and paved the way for Anne, Emily and Jane. While the structure of the stories seem a bit repetitive when read in one go, they're quite whimsical and wonderful when read over a longer stretch of time, allowing you to tell the characters apart.
June 20, 2023
2.5 stars
I know these stories were all published at different times and for various magazines, and it doesn't bother me that LMM recycled her own plots for so many tales. But putting SO MANY similar stories in the same anthology probably didn't serve them well. Most of the stories are nice enough individually, but by the fourth or fifth orphan-coincidentally-finds-long-lost-family tale I was growing bored.
There were a few stories that didn't seem so fill-in-the-blanks, and these were usually the best ones:
-Charlotte's Quest
-Marcella's Reward(another one of the formulaic plots, but fleshed out to better effect than the others)
-Freda's Adopted Grave
-Miss Sally's Company
-Charlotte's Ladies
I know these stories were all published at different times and for various magazines, and it doesn't bother me that LMM recycled her own plots for so many tales. But putting SO MANY similar stories in the same anthology probably didn't serve them well. Most of the stories are nice enough individually, but by the fourth or fifth orphan-coincidentally-finds-long-lost-family tale I was growing bored.
There were a few stories that didn't seem so fill-in-the-blanks, and these were usually the best ones:
-Charlotte's Quest
-Marcella's Reward(another one of the formulaic plots, but fleshed out to better effect than the others)
-Freda's Adopted Grave
-Miss Sally's Company
-Charlotte's Ladies
October 17, 2017
I found these stories amusing and charming in their own way. Especially those without rich and handsome lady or gentelman asking that dreadful question about particular orphan's mother's maiden name and then claiming to be the orphan 's long-lost family member who would immidiately take care of him or her. In my opinion, such a twist is not only annoying but also harmful. It carries a message that the noble character, cheerful disposition, good manners, even beutiful features are nothing when you're a poor orphan, daughter of God-knows-who and nobody takes interest in you till it would be found out that you're child of some stepsister/ cousin / childhood friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2018
Being a huge fan of Anne I was eager to read these short stories written by L.M Montgomery that also featured orphans. Some of these stories were quite good and some of them were just too short, not really well developed and had this very neat happy ending that happened too quickly. I did appreciate that the orphan stories weren't always about young children but adults who found a long lost relative.
I read in another person's review that these stories weren't supposed to be read all together and I couldn't agree more. On their own the stories can be lovely and charming. When you read them one after the other you begin to see the pattern and the stories become more predictable and less enjoyable.
I read in another person's review that these stories weren't supposed to be read all together and I couldn't agree more. On their own the stories can be lovely and charming. When you read them one after the other you begin to see the pattern and the stories become more predictable and less enjoyable.
June 20, 2024
This probably doesn't deserve 5 stars but to hell with it, I'm going there. Montgomery's short stories are bland like the crackers you have to subsist on while deathly ill, but they get you through the tough times. I love them because you can really see a working writer in them. She reuses the same tropes and setups over and over and I bet her audience at the time lapped it up. It's inspiring, really. I read this at the worst time of my life in years and it really took a load off. Love you LMM <3
September 28, 2018
I love how all these stories of orphans are about the love they find. Montgomery had a very lonely life since it wasn't in her caretaker's minds to fill her emotional needs. All of these I hoped in their publications (in magazines at the time) turned hearts to realize the love these children are looking for. Not just extra hands for a farm, as they often were back then, but little beings with dreams and wishes and desires to be loved and cared for. A great collection.
February 5, 2020
L.M. Montgomery is a long time and all time favorite author of mine. She writes the perfect girls story with just the right mix of adventure, drama and happiness. I find her books a comfort to read and have re-read most of her works many times over the years. They are classics for a reason and that reason is they are great. These are true comfort books for me and books I enjoy re-reading again and again.
August 12, 2024
LM Montgomery is primarily known for her novels...but she's never given enough credit for her skill as a short story writer. This collection of stories manages to show Montgomery's ability to create an entire world using only a single moment and a single character -- as evocative as any of her epic Anne & Emily novels. It's also a beautiful comfort read that will give you hope that love and compassion will always win out in the end.
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