Because we all need more to read in the month of November, Sarah Emsley and I are hosting a Readalong of The Story Girl and The Golden Road next month. What are one or two more books in your stack?
The Story Girl narrates the adventures of a group of cousins and their friends in rural Prince Edward Island. L.M. Montgomery began writing The Story Girl in 1909, right after Anne of Green Gables was published. According to Mary Henley Rubio’s The Gift of Wings, she used herself as a partial model for Sara Stanley. “Sara, the “Story Girl,” has an absent father and lives with relatives in Prince Edward Island. She is a local legend for her ability to tell spellbinding stories. Sara actually tells many of Maud’s own set-pieces. The cousins Sara lives with… exhibit the happy qualities of the Campbell cousins…” In The Alpine Path: the story of my career, LMM “opined that The Story Girl was her favourite of the novels she had written by that time [1917].”
Montgomery started writing The Golden Road in 1912. Henley Rubio mentions “echoes” of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, but giving you the example from the biography would be a big spoiler. There are further echoes of Maud’s own life, particularly of her relationship with her father.
I haven’t yet started The Golden Road, but am near the end of The Story Girl. So far, what I most enjoy about the book is noticing the contrast between children more than a century ago and children today: the things they worry about and how they play and interact. I don’t remember a lot about what happens in the book (I don’t think I’ve re-read it since I was a teen), but I remember the characters and some of the “fixes” they get themselves into. I will never forget the ‘cucumber and milk incident’ – I worried about that combination for years.
I’ll save the rest of my thoughts for November.
Other bookish events going on in November:
- Margaret Atwood Reading Month (#MARM) hosted by Marcie @ Buried in Print
- Novellas in November (#NovNov) hosted by Rebecca @ Bookish Beck and Cathy @ 746 Books
- AusReading Month (which I just discovered has been moved to October – maybe it’s not too late!) hosted by Brona @ This Reading Life
- Nonfiction November (which I just discovered may not be happening this year) – See Katie’s post @ Doing Dewey
- German Literature Month hosted by Lizzy @ Lizzy’s Literary Life (Volume 2)
There’s also an Anne of Green Gables Readalong happening right now – over at Reviews From the Stacks.
Please let me know if there are any I’ve missed!
We’d love to have you join us in reading The Story Girl, The Golden Road, or both! We’re using #ReadingStoryGirl on social media. And you can link to my blog or Sarah’s if you decide to write about your experience reading the books.
Happy Reading!
Consumed by Ink 
I have The Story Girl out from the university library and I’m planning on it 🙂
Yay! 🙂
Thanks for the mention! I checked out The Story Girl from the library recently and hope to actually start reading it soon, and ideally then get to The Golden Road in a few weeks as well.
So happy to have you join us! 🙂
Ok, I’m a guy, no sisters, didn’t read Anne of GG growing up. So, I was three paras down in Wikipedia before I discovered that Maud is the M in LM Montgomery. I’ve already done my AusReading month reading, and more than half my MARM. I don’t do the others. If I can find copies online – and I can – I’ll see if I can read along with you.
Great! Happy to have join, as always! 🙂
Maud is the name she went by. She didn’t like being called Lucy.
Thanks for the shout out for AusReading Month. It is now running through October but the end dates are flexible to allow people to read Australian novellas on Aust non-fiction for the other challenges if they wish.
I’m not sure I can fit anything else onto my reading plate right now, but a lovely LM Montgomery would be the perfect antidote to everything going on in the world atm.
That’s the way I feel about her writing – an escape from the present and all it’s chaos. I want to sit in the orchard with the children and listen to Sara tell stories.
Good idea to move AusReading to October! I’ll try to remember that for next year!
I may have to reread my copy of The Blue Castle when I finish my Australian books
🙂
That’s a good one. I could read that again, too!
This sounds like a lovely read for November!
I think some bloggers have expressed interest in taking on Nonfiction November… A nonfiction tie-in is Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley, who as you may know starred in The Road to Avonlea on TV, loosely based on The Story Girl and other books. Her experience as a child actor in general was quite harrowing (in contrast to her sugar-coated image on the show), so it’s disturbing, but very worth reading. One of my books of the year.
What a good idea to read Polley’s book as a tie-in to The Story Girl! I remember Road to Avonlea well, although I wasn’t completely dedicated to it. My younger sisters watched it more than I did.
It’s good to have your recommendation for Polley’s book!
I never watched it, only the original Anne of Green Gables series (which I adored). Polley’s book is fascinating, but definitely takes the romantic veneer off.
I’m sure it does! It’s okay, though, I was never attached to Road to Avonlea like I was to the Anne movie.
Same. But I did get into Emily of New Moon a few years later for some reason. Those first two movies though…sheesh…they were e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g weren’t they?!
Yes!!
I remember reading The Golden Road as a kid but never been able to get hold of The Story Girl due to library availability. I often wondered what happened in the first book!
Oh, that’s so funny!
The thing is, though, it doesn’t really have a narrative arc – it’s more like a bunch of stories in a row about the same characters over the course of one summer. But I’m not quite to the end yet, and I can’t remember how it ends…
I’m preparing to have by tbr list explode thanks to #NovNov!
Me too! 🙂
Hahaha, yes, by all means, that’s what November needs, more reading responsibilities!
Even though part of me is in the mood for LMM, these two just aren’t my favourites (I did read them again as an adult and, as you mentioned above, they feel like little stories about each of the characters and I’m already feeling like there are a lot of short stories to squeeze into what remains of 2023). But I will have a look at the LMM shelf and see if something there inspires me…something Story-Girl adjacent? Heh
I would have to agree with you that The Story Girl will not be up there as one of my favourites. If it’s based on memories of LMM’s childhood, though, I can see why she might have been especially fond of it. (And the fact of that also makes it more interesting to me!)
That’s true for me too, as with the Emily books, which I never loved as much as I loved the Anne books UNTIL I learned how much LMM loved Emily and then, after rereading a couple of times with that in mind, I grew much fonder of Emily.
Did you see that the next “Club” is 1937? Jane of Lantern Hill!
I didn’t see that! I’ve just read Jane of Lantern Hill, but you haven’t, have you?
I’m just about to start reading The Story Girl now, and I’m so excited! I’ve never read it before and am so happy to have a reason to do so, thanks to you and Sarah!
Hooray! Soon, if we keep up these readalongs, you’ll be all caught up! 🙂
I’m sorry that readalongs never work for me, because they always look so fun! My CBC reading keeps me quite busy these days, but I do enjoy following along via your blog on your readalongs. I hope to get to some more Anne of Green Gables books someday!
I totally get it, Anne! The only readalongs I usually join in on are my own! LOL
So interesting to compare the covers. For some reason I don’t own The Story Girl. I thought I had a copy from my childhood, but I only had The Golden Road. Fortunately, my daughter has the Tundra edition, so I’m reading hers. Haven’t finished yet! Lots to look forward to in the coming week.
There are 1522 editions of the book on GR! Most of them were ugly. But it’s always so much fun to see them all! I love the Elly McKay covers, although my own are the 1988 Bantams.
1522–wow! I wonder what LMM would think.
She would likely think that most of them are ugly!
Ooh, lovely. I loved both The Story Girl and the Golden Road. The first is visible on my book shelves, and I think I also have both as e-books. Would be pleased to join in, though I will be juggling with entries for NovNov, German Lit Month and Nonfiction November which is back on.
If you’ve already read them, feel free to join in the conversation, even if you don’t have time to reread!
I will, thanks 🙂 Though it has been a while since I did.
I don’t know how I have only discovered your blog at this late stage! I’m sad to have missed this readalong, but I’m subscribed now, so it won’t happen again 🙂
Hi Lisa! I’m so glad you found me! I was just on your website and I love what you have to say about short stories! Do you read strictly short stories, as well as edit them? (Also, in your picture it looks like you’re reading The Blue Castle with the Elly MacKay cover design. Love it!)
Btw, Sarah and I are planning to re-read Kilmeny of the Orchard in April!