The Fragrance of Sweet-Grass: LM Montgomery's Heroines and the Pursuit of Romance

Lisa Arsenault is a public-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

ln this scholarly review of Montgomery’s works, romance is perceived
as the central issue of all 20 novels. Indisputably, Montgomery wrote
about women for a largely female readership, and each of her heroines
does indeed pursue romance “whether through love of nature or home or
person or code—all her life.” Each heroine must survive tribulations
in various forms in order to develop her own conception of what is
romantic.

The book is divided into three parts: most space is devoted to
Montgomery’s best-known works, the eight “Anne” books. Part 2
deals with the “Emily” trilogy, while Part 3 analyzes her nine
remaining novels.

Although Montgomery was constrained, by publishers and fans, to write
to a largely prescribed romance formula, her use of wit, humor, sarcasm,
and the conventions of literature prevents her novels from languishing
in total predictability and ensures that there are surprises in store
for the reader en route to the mandatory happy ending. Epperly proves
that Montgomery’s books are true literary creations that present
believable heroines who have to make difficult choices and find the
answers to complex questions.

Epperly, evidently a feminist, is as appalled as most
late–20th-century readers would be by the many examples of conformity
to gender stereotypes, but though she doesn’t try to excuse them, she
does place them in the context of the author’s culture, class, and
era. Despite these stereotypes, most of Montgomery’s heroines are
imbued with enough individuality and personal charisma to possess reader
appeal today. Epperly also comments on the consistently Canadian content
of the novels, which adds to their attraction for Canadian readers (if
distressing Montgomery’s American publishers).

Ultimately, despite their limitations in subject matter or perspective,
Epperly proves the novels’ central contention: love of place, beauty,
or another human being constitutes true romance, and when combined with
strong self-identity and the spirit’s capabilities for growth can make
heroines of all women.