Imagining Anne: The Island Scrapbooks of L.M. Montgomery.

Susan Merskey is freelance writer in London, Ontario.

2008 marked the centenary of the first publication of L.M. Montgomery’s classic story Anne of Green Gables. This is one of several books published to commemorate the event. As its title suggests, it is a compilation of items from Montgomery’s scrapbooks. An inveterate collector throughout her life, she assembled both personal scrapbooks and others containing stories, reviews, etc. As author Elizabeth Epperly notes, the two personal scrapbooks on which she has drawn for this volume “reveal Montgomery enjoying memories and images, [and] reshaping events in collages”; they “reflect Montgomery’s youth and optimism” and they “are filled with meaningful markers that very likely prompted Montgomery to recall what Wordsworth referred to as ‘spots of time’—pictured moments whose details carry more power than words may be able to capture.”

The book opens with several brief sections recalling L.M. Montogmery’s life and work, and explaining the role of her scrapbooks. The greater part of the book contains extracts from the scrapbooks on each right-hand page flanked by Epperly’s explanatory notes on the left. All combine to give us a unique idea of Montgomery’s interests, and the important events in this period of her life.

The volume is a joy to behold as well as to read. The beautiful blue and gold cloth-bound covers open to reveal pages of the highest quality paper, which set off the scrapbook extracts to the very best advantage. The original scrapbooks are showing the ravages of time, but Epperly tells us that they have now been digitally preserved for future generations of students and “Anne” lovers to read without further damaging the originals.

Epperly was born in the United States, but moved to Prince Edward Island in order to pursue her passion for L.M. Montgomery and all her work.