Thank you to everyone who has participated in the “Visiting L.M. Montgomery’s Island” series!

This series was designed by Sarah Freeburn, L.M. Montgomery Institute student assistant, to emphasize the “rich red of the winding roads, the brilliant emerald of the uplands and meadows, the flowing sapphire of the encircling sea,”1 the vibrant city life of PEI, and their connection to L.M. Montgomery.

As emphasized in Elizabeth Epperly’s Through Lover’s Lane, Prince Edward Island has been a popular tourist destination to “build up worn out tissue, to rest the mind, to banish weakness,” for over a hundred years. It was the success of Montgomery’s beloved redhead, her books’ striking imagery, and her writing’s descriptions of magical landscapes that contributed to the decision to make the Cavendish area a national park in 19362 and that continue to shape PEI. Montgomery’s ties to Prince Edward Island go deeper than just the places where she lived. The island, and all its elegance and mystery, operated as a source of inspiration for the author, who, even years after settling in Ontario, maintained that “It is still possible to believe in fairies in Prince Edward Island–that colourful little land of ruby and emerald and sapphire which is not like any other part of the planet.”3  

Over the next few weeks, posts will centre on PEI attractions and their relationship to L.M. Montgomery. The posts will feature answers by those of you who participated in the call for the “Visiting L.M. Montgomery’s Island” series and will be displayed on the Journal of L.M. Montgomery news feed and via LMMI social media (Facebook: @LMMInstitute/ Instagram: @lmminstitute/ Twitter: @LMMI_PEI ).