I saved this one for last because--it's L. M. Montgomery and I simply just love her. 

Montgomery, mostly known for her Anne books, was also a master at the short story. I have several of her works already and so I knew, going in, that I would enjoy this book. 

These stories showcase a lot of Montgomery's more famous work given that some of them were "recycled" into her popular books. So while none of these stories served as "new material", I thoroughly enjoyed reading them in their original form and the commentary from Lefebvre.

A pleasant collection of short stories. Thanks for the review copy. I loved Anne of Green Gables. This was a comfort read. Thanks again.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

I really enjoyed this book! The story was really good and I loved the characters! I hope to read more by this author in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and to the author for the ARC!

I knew I was going to enjoy this collection. I own several previous collections of Montgomery's short story collections and love them all. I love how she experiments with her short stories. Sometimes trying different character types in a similar storyline or vice-versa, sometimes playing with darker themes or even adding a touch of paranormal, and sometimes going all in with the sweet and heartwarming. I found this collection to be the same with a mix of familiar and new stories and including the story of Dog Monday from Rilla of Ingleside which never fails to make me sob (but don't worry Dog Monday is alive and well all through the story).

What makes this collection special are the story headings. Before each heading Benjamin Lefebvre provides context for where the story was published, where in Montgomery's career the story falls, and where the storyline or characters are used again. As a lover of Montgomery's other books I found this information absolutely fascinating and it made reading this collection all the more enjoyable and a much richer experience.

If you are a lover of Montgomery's Anne books this collection is an absolute must read!

Really good book. The plot was well-written and engrossing. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Beautiful cover. A good women's fiction novel. Recommend

Expertly researched, this book ties in LM Montgomery's short stories with her later published works. One can really see the origins of her novels through the similarities of the themes throughout. This is for those who already love her writing, but is equally accessible to those with a passing interest or little familiarity with her work.

My greatest bias as I approached this book was that Anne and her life were the first time I felt a thrill as I read. As a child who had been feeding on Famous Five and the like prior to finding these books, it was fun but not as emotionally rewarding as some of Anne's tales.
This collection helped me get a new perspective on the writing process. Many of the stories here were ones that were later repurposed as part of a larger series. Some names were changed, and some endings were tweaked for the final publication, but this is where the editor's notes helped provide more depth.
Each story is preceded by a very detailed background of when and where each story was published. This is a collection of some choice moments of the stories I adore. There were some scenes that I had forgotten or deemed not that touching, but when seen as an individual chapter here, I ended up appreciating it all the more.
I highly recommend this to fans of the author and/or Anne. It could also serve as a possible introduction to someone who has always been interested in the author but did not have the time to read a full-length novel.
The time and place these might have been originally written did play a part in the final presentation, and that was interesting all on its own.
I am not going into the separate chapters for two reasons, the first being that it would not serve much of a purpose since they are all stories of the kind of people she always writes about, and the mischief within is also pretty standard fare. The second and more important reason is that I no longer have the e-copy and did not take notes during and therefore cannot go into too many details.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience and the memories it threw up.

I enjoyed reading these unknown stories that played a part in shaping Montgomery's work. Before each story the reader gets background information on how the story came to be and how it shaped Montgomery's famous works.

Thank you NetGalley and University of Toronto Press for the opportunity to read these stories.

I love this book. I really do--- and I usually hate short stories. What I love most is that these serve as the inspiration for LM Montgomery's later works. It's so amazing having them all complied in one location, and I will definitely be revisiting them over the years to come.

I have found Anne Shirley a kindred spirit since I was about eight years old, thus I have always considered L. M. Montgomery a favorite author. I was thrilled to discover that these short stories were being published, especially considering that they were advertised as "lesser-known" stories. What I did not realize, however, is that most of them are excerpts of novels or premature renderings of episodes from the Anne series. So many of these stories I found a bit boring, as I had already read them with different character names. I also found that because the stories are so short it was hard to fall in love with their characters in the same way that I could with Anne's friends and family. Three standout stories for me, though, were "The Indecision of Margaret", "Retribution", and "Tomorrow Comes". I especially loved "The Indecision of Margaret", as I could easily identify with the 'old maid' character who knew her own mind, wanted to marry, but didn't want to settle for just any man. I'm glad I read these stories, but I think I need to read more of Montgomery's published work and more of her biography before possibly returning to these stories.

This is an excellent collection of short stories by Montgomery. It was fascinating to see the original ideas for stories that were used later in other contexts. Yet, I still found that the original stories held up as interesting reads. Definitely a great pick for anyone who loves Anne of Green Gables.

This volume of short stories by L.M. Montgomery examines how she re-worked characters, dialogue, and plots over the years and transferred bits of her work between stories and novels. For instance, some of Anne Shirley's most memorable adventures started out as standalone stories.
This newly published collection is mostly just the stories, with a small amount of commentary for context. So if you like LMM short stories, maybe pick this up, although do be aware that the whole point of it is to draw attention to what is already familiar to fans, so you won't read anything astonishingly new here. If your interest in Montgomery tends towards the scholarly, you may find this work helpful as a way to trace her creative process.

Thanks to NetGalley and University of Toronto Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy Maud Montgomery and her Anne of Green Gables series are the reason that I found love for the written word. It was no question that I would request to read this volume of delicious short stories that helped inspire so many of her works( Anne books, Jane of Lantern Hill, Pat of Silver Bush, The Story Girl etc). This is certainly a book that will delight old and new fans.






Expected Publication 21/06/22
Goodreads review published 06/06/22

#TwiceuponaTime #NetGalley

I just reviewed Twice upon a Time by L.M. Montgomery Edited by Benjamin Lefebvre. #TwiceuponaTime #NetGalley

These selected stories are a great read especially if like me, you remember and love the Anne of Green Gables series from childhood. Most of the stories inspire events in her novels or are modified to be used in the novels. Each short story has an introduction to where fans of Montgomery's works have seen it in the books and where the short story was originally published,

Definitely buy it ! It’s great!!

I have always been a fan of L.M. Montgomery's works and was thrilled to see this compilation of some of her short stories that were later re-worked into some of her novels. I enjoyed this glimpse into the author's creative process. This book was the perfect read for a rainy afternoon while curled up on the couch with a hot cup of tea. I finished the book on Memorial Day and the final story was very fitting.

While I loved the stories, the afterword went on too long for me so I ended up skimming it.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A collection of short stories that showcase the early works of L.M. Montgomery. This is a comforting read for the adoring fans of Anne that just want a little more of a glimpse into the beautiful and bold world of L.M. Montgomery. What a treasure to have more of her work available!

These selected stories are a pleasant read especially if like me, you remember the Anne of Green Gables series from childhood. Most of the stories inspire events in her novels or are modified to be used in them. My favourite story was ‘The Little Fellow’s Photograph’, I didn’t expect the turn this story took so it left an impression.

I enjoyed the collection of short stories from this compilation. I would say its a good break when you used to big novels. A classic stories from each authors and each brings a cozy feel and simplicity of the atmosphere being delivered on each short stories.


3.5/5 stars.