the photographs were beautiful and I enjoyed them even more after visiting prince edward island. The descriptions in the book were not all that interesting to me

I love "Anne of Green Gables". A lot. I’ve watched the 1980s films countless times, and I’m working my way through the series. When I heard about a book celebrating the landscapes that inspired the famous Canadian author, I was so excited.

Firstly, the design of this book is beautiful. The cover and the naked book are drool-worthy. I must admit I admired the book’s design again and again.

The photography within is lovely. The photos are from a variety of artists, including a few from Catherine Reid herself! They showcase the beaches, the forests, the flowers, and more of PEI and Ontario. Sometimes there are quotes from "AOGG" or L.M. Montgomery’s journals placed over top of the photos, and I found that made the book well-balanced.

The book covers Montgomery’s writing life, and her personal life. It discusses her childhood, her love life, and her depression. I’m glad the book didn’t shy away from the more tragic aspects of her life. I felt the book really did her justice and gave readers a good look into her life.

As a plant lover, I also loved learning about what plants Montgomery loved, and what plants are found in PEI and the places Montomgery lived later in life. To learn what plants she loved, what landscapes she loved, was so fascinating to me. To see what types of gardens, plants, and scenery she preferred, and even that she drew heavily on her surroundings for inspiration in her books, is a nice way to celebrate how important the natural world is. In a time when many people take for granted the natural beauty around them, this book wa a breath of fresh air. It made me want to explore the nature near me, and it fed my love of plants and nature.

The only detractor - and it’s a very small one - is that sometimes the book felt a little repetitive. I noticed some facts being mentioned a few times, and some of the photos chosen were also very similar to other ones.

For me, "The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables" is wonderful. I enjoyed learning about the nature some areas in Canada. As a Canadian, and a fan of L.M. Montgomery, I really enjoyed and appreciated it. The book made me grab "The Blue Castle", an adult L.M. Montgomery title, off of my bookshelf and finally read it (reader, I loved it).

A gentle, informative, book. Part biography, part travel guide, explored through the filter of Montgomery's work, this book will be of interest to those with a passion for Montgomery's work and want to understand the role the places she inhabited in life and the flora she loved played in the creation of those stories.

In her book, The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables, Catherine Reid, with the help of Kerry Michaels, photographer, give readers a beautiful tour of Prince Edward Island, home of author Lucy Maud Montgomery and her much-loved character. Complete with color photos, Reid uses the author’s own diaries and scrapbooks to reveal the similarities and differences between the writer and the character she created.

The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables is part biography, part commentary, and part photography, as Reid endeavors to tell the story behind the story that so many have grown to know and love. The book is a picturesque travelogue of the island that shaped both author and character, who display an inescapable love of nature, and illustrate the personal and vulnerable side to Montgomery that few have witnessed.

This beautiful and enchanting book is a volume that every Anne of Green Gables fan would enjoy, and I highly recommend it.





I was given a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review

As an avid "Anne" fan (my middle name is Anne - with an e! - because my mother loved her so!), this was a must read for me! I've always dreamed of going to PEI, and the gorgeous photos throughout this book intrigued me all the more. I didn't know much about Lucy Maud before reading this, so that was fascinating to me as well - although I wish it had been told chronologically instead of in themed chapters, as it was difficult to remember where she was when, and I felt some things were rehashed multiple times. All in all it definitely added to the Anne experience and will perhaps change how I envision the locale next time I read it :-)

**I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Anne of Green Gables fans: take note of this book. Filled with colorful photographs of Prince Edward Island, this book takes readers to the island made famous by Lucy Maud Montgomery and her cast of strong female characters. Reid uses the text to compare and contrast Montgomery’s world and Anne’s world, linking personal similarities between Montgomery and Anne. Readers can also step into various museums and historic sites dedicated to Montgomery and the Cuthberts, thanks to numerous interior photographs of these locations. The inclusion of Montgomery’s own photographs of landscapes and nature at the turn of the twentieth century adds the perfect element to this book.

I loved every bit of this book. I stared at the photographs. I loved reading Montgomery’s own words to convey her love of landscape and the outdoors. This is the perfect book for Anne fans or even Montgomery fans.

The gorgeous photos in this book transported me back in time to Prince Edward Island, to the beautiful home of Lucy Maud Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables. I learned some information I never knew about the Island and Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was interesting to see the parallels between Lucy Maud and her characters, especially Emily and Anne. Lucy Maud's life was so hard and sad, yet in spite of that she created the most endearing and enduring characters with her unparalleled writing talent. I enjoyed the beautiful pictures, the quotes from Lucy Maud Montgomery's journals and books, the information about the flora of Prince Edward Island, and the biographical information about Lucy Maud. I highly recommend this beautiful book to anyone who loves flowers, the outdoors, and Lucy Maud Montgomery's writing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

A great companion to the Anne of Green Gable books. Charming photos. Beautiful artwork. A delight to look through. This is a beautiful coffee table book.

Excellent!! The pictures in this book are superb. All the sights from Anne of Green Gables and so much more are included in the beautiful photos in this book. Along the photos are history information about Maud Montgomery, her life, her writing etc. it’s a great book to lay on a coffee table. Love to pick it up and read a little, put it down, and pick it up another time. Doesn’t not need to be read all in succession.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my review. Definitely want to get a hard copy of this one!!

Catherine Reid’s book, The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables, brings the lovely setting to vivid life. No doubt anyone who has read the Anne of Green Gables series wants to visit Prince Edward Island. However, the author points out that the Island is like everywhere else, it has changed in the years since the Anne books were written. I found this to only enhance the fact that this book, which includes the older photographs, is a superb find.

Yes, I still want to visit Prince Edward Island. However, this book is like a mini-vacation being taken now. It is a bit of a time travel visit too, since the author includes photographs from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s journal. I just loved that aspect of the book.

The illustrations both color and black and white give a clear feel of the area when the original books were written. The narrative increases the enjoyment of the book giving relevant details to past and present. I have read a few other books on the actual settings or areas of famous children’s books or series. None have I enjoyed more than The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables. Even if one had never read an Anne of Green Gables book, this book would made you fall in love with Prince Edward Island.

Thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the opportunity to read and review The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables by Catherine Reid. Prince Edward Island is the setting of L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series and this book brings all that Anne saw to the reader’s eyes with beautiful photographs, both old and new, plus the wonderful descriptions given by L.M. Montgomery in the stories of Anne and also her own personal journal writings. Also, an in-depth look into Maud’s life experiences, both happy and difficult, this book opens her world up to us and shows the similarities between herself and the fascinating character she created in Anne. 5 stars for this reverent and beautiful dedication to the author of a true classic!

As a child I was obsessed with Anne of Green Gables. If I'm honest, I am still obsessed in a somewhat latent sort of way. Because of this it has always been a dream of mine to travel to Prince Edward Island, the place that inspired Montgomery to create her beloved heroine and that serves as the setting for most of her novels. Reid has managed to vicariously transport me to the landscapes I've known and loved for years, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

I admit to being disappointed in this book. I went into it with specific expectations based on the title and blurb and found the book to be primarily about something else entirely. I thought I was getting a book about Prince Edward Island - it's history, it's landscapes, how it was at the turn of the 20th century, how it has changed, and the sights that captivated a young Montgomery. Despite the beautiful photography, that is not this book.

This book is a treatise on how Montgomery and therefore Anne Shirley (who is partly autobiographical) is supported and sustained by her natural world, and specifically PEI. It reads like a dressed up university thesis. It has a tendency to restate thoughts: I got it the first time that Montgomery herself had a "Lake of Shining Waters" and a " Lover's Lane", both names that Anne Shirley uses in Anne of Green Gables. When not discussing how Anne is partly autobiographical, the book discusses how Montgomery needed the natural world around her to draw inspiration as well as balance her mental and emotional needs.

The examples are taken from Montgomery's own journals and are myriad. I was impressed with the extent to which Reid drew from primary sources and glad so many sources were available. Montgomery's journals are well kept and preserved, if, according to author, a bit staged. Montgomery herself repenned several journals in an effort to driver her own narrative.

This was a surprisingly easy read and I read it over the course of three mornings. The photographs, both color of PEI today and colored photos by Montgomery herself show a lovely place and were a pleasure to see. The pull quotes Reid chose to illustrate her points were well-chosen and accompanied by thoughtful photos. It was a very informative book, especially as it comes to Montgomery's mental health. She appears to have suffered from SAD or full on depression or both for much of her life.

Had I not been expecting and eagerly awaiting a completely different focus of this book, I suspect I would have like it more. Unfortunately, descriptions can be misleading. This is more a biography in some ways and certainly is designed to discuss a specific aspect of Montgomery and Anne Shirley as opposed to a book about PEI and its landscapes. That's not to say that there isn't a great deal about the land. There is, but it is all contextualized through the shared need on Montgomery's and Anne's part to be in the wild.

The best thing I can say about The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables is GORGEOUS! Having long wanted to visit Prince Edward Island, this book made me want to buy a plane ticket immediately. Even if you're not a fan of Anne (who isn't?), this book is scope for the imagination and a feast for the eyes.

So I read a digital copy of this, which is fine. On a nice screen where you can get a full two-page spread happening? Great. But this book was made to be held, to see the beautiful photography printed and not altered by screen variations.

Beyond the photographs, the text does a nice job weaving between the real and fictional worlds, which can be challenging with LM Montgomery's work. Much of the material covers the beauty of Prince Edward Island and the joy found in LMM's work, but it's not all sunshine and roses, either. It's nicely balanced.

But really, I think the real draw here are the visuals. For those of us without a travel budget (or just with an aversion to the actualities of, like, nature), it might be the closest we'll get to experiencing the beauty of Prince Edward Island.

I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I will most certainly be purchasing my own hard copy of this book! Just for the photographs alone! The pictures of Montgomery and her life, and especially of Prince Edward Island both in her time and in modern days were just stunning!

This book made me not only want to go to P.E.I. IMMEDIATELY, but I also plan to find and buy some of Montgomery's journals as well. They are referenced quite a bit in this book, because it talks a lot about her descriptions of the Island as she wrote them in her journals, her life growing up, and the ways in which she was so much like Anne Shirley. I definitely would like to read all of these things for myself.

It was very interesting to see the way PEI has changed since Anne and Montgomery's time, and to know that the "modernization" of the Island didn't actually happen until fairly late.

I would highly recommend this to fans of Anne of Green Gables - it made me very sentimental and fall in love with the story all over again! And like I said, it really made me want to visit the Island very soon! The whole book just expanded on the magic of the setting, the story, and Montgomery's imagination. I definitely learned a lot!

This is a lovely book featuring beautiful pictures of Prince Edward Island and many tidbits related to the island, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and (of course) Anne of Green Gables. A treasure for many, but especially for any fans of the Anne of Green Gables series.

I would recommend this book for anyone who loves Anne of Green Gables. It was a beautiful book.

Growing up, I was a huge AoGG fan. Introduced to the stories in 4th grade (1989) I soon became engrossed in the world that L.M. Montgomery had created. When the Sullivan Ent. movies were available on Disney and later the Road to Avonlea series, I became even more engrossed. Over the years I finally read the majority of LMM's catalog and she ranks up there as my favorite author.

When I saw this book was being published I was so excited! It is a beautiful book, with gorgeous photos and an excellent weaving of the narratives between the garden and overall landscapes of PEI in both Anne and Maud's lives.

I will definitely be adding this to my LMM collection! And I think it's time for a re-read of all of her novels!

Anne tore out of the house with her hair streaming and without her hat although it was freezing and Marilla called after her. She felt the 'fierce energy of winter' on the beautiful, snowy Prince Edward Island. Like her creator, Anne loved all of the seasons although Lucy Maud may have been affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder in the long, dark winters at times.

This beautifully-written book by Catherine Reid with its gorgeous photographs is a welcome addition to the collection of writing about L.M. Montgomery. It relates how Lucy Maud's love of the seasons and the different landscapes of P.E.I. led to her luminous descriptions and how she used it in her scenes in her books. For example, Anne had her last walk with Matthew in the spring making the scene especially poignant.

This is a must-by for any lovers of Anne and L.M. montgomery's writing!

I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.
Posted by Viola at 12:42 AM