House of Dreams

April 23, 2018
Rosenberg’s comprehensive biography of the author of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series presents a multidimensional portrait of a complicated and conflicted writer. Opening with 30-year-old Montgomery starting to write the book that brought her international fame and wealth, the story circles back to her early abandonment by her parents, her childhood with stern grandparents, to the publication of a poem when she was 15, marking the beginning of a career that encompassed more than 20 novels and countless stories
and poems. Rosenberg explores Montgomery’s fierce attachment to Prince Edward Island, as well as her family loyalty, passions, and relentless ambition. While tracing Montgomery’s growth and success as a writer, Rosenberg doesn’t shy away from presenting her failings—the lies of omission in her journal, her entanglements with unavailable men—and her struggles with chronic depression, a mentally unstable husband, and a less-than-trustworthy publisher. Though initially slow going, this illuminating and satisfying biography takes on life and depth as Montgomery’s own voice grows more prominent. Ages 10–14.

May 1, 2018

Gr 6 Up-Most known for Anne of Green Gables, author L.M. Montgomery (1874-1942) endured many hardships while dedicating herself to a prolific and renowned career. This account of her life buzzes with energy and emotion reminiscent of her own writing, and incorporates her diary entries for a more personal telling. Readers will share in her bemusement as she rejects a string of suitors in favor of her ambitions, celebrate her triumphs as a successful-though unfairly paid-author, and feel the overwhelming demand for more Anne. Rosenberg crucially doesn't shy away from discussing mental health, sometimes using Montgomery's books as analysis for her state of mind. Her experiences with depression is laid bare, her moments of freneticism or despondence vivid through riveting prose. Rosenberg also details her subject's imagination, zest for nature, and her perfectly imperfect characters who still continue to touch so many. Devotees will relish the tidbits of Montgomery's daily life that found their way into Anne's world. The book also boasts Morstad's delicately and prettily penned illustrations and an expansive bibliography. However, Rosenberg's biggest misstep is not tackling Montgomery's problematic works, notably Kilmeny of the Orchard and the short story "Tannis of the Flats." Considering the deep dive Rosenberg takes with the iconic author's other writings, the absence of it here is strongly felt. VERDICT A poignant though incomplete look at a renowned author. Consider for Montgomery fans.-Kate DiGirolomo, Library Journal

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2018
The first middle-grade biography of Canadian author L.M. Montgomery in over 20 years.Drawing primarily on the author's personal journals (published only in edited form until very recently but available to the author in their entirety), Rosenberg presents a balanced and sympathetic portrait of a lonely young girl who grew up to write cheerful novels despite her always-challenging life. Maud (she was never called by her first name, Lucy) lost her mother to tuberculosis in 1876 before she was 2 and her father to wanderlust before she was 7. Raised by her puritanical grandparents in Cavendish, a small village on Prince Edward Island, she early on retreated into her imagination, naming the trees in her grandparents' yard. Her first novel, Anne of Green Gables, was published to instant success--but Maud, by then 34, had broken off an engagement and was the sole caretaker of her elderly, difficult, and ailing grandmother. Prone herself to bouts of severe depression, she married a preacher who suffered from severe mental illness, and troubles with her elder son haunted her last years. Rosenberg writes clearly and honestly, making liberal use of Maud's own words, allowing Maud's courage and joy to shine despite her very real problems. Morstad's black-and-white drawings effectively set the mood, underscoring the ethnic homogeneity of the largely white PEI.A kind, thoughtful, nuanced portrayal of one of the icons of children's literature. (Biography. 10-14)

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Starred review from June 1, 2018
Grades 7-10 *Starred Review* Scholars have been debating beloved Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery's personal life for decades. Why did she idolize the father who abandoned her? Why did her conservative grandmother suddenly support her education and career ambitions? Did Maud commit suicide, or was her overdose accidental? Rosenberg presents a condensed version of Maud's (as she liked to be called) private journals, interweaving Maud's own lyrical, emotive quotations with major life events. Though best known for creating Anne Shirley?a charming, imaginative redheaded orphan?Maud struggled with depression her entire life. She found companionship with good men but fell in lust with a bad one. Her younger son made her proud; the older was a rake whose treatment of women broke Maud's heart. Rosenberg paints a deep, complex portrait of a vibrant, brilliant, yet troubled woman. At the beginning of every chapter, Morstad accompanies these descriptions with Quentin Blake-like ink illustrations that capture the strange mix of whimsy, humor, and solemnity that permeated Maud's thoughts. Recommend to Anne fans, aspiring writers, or anyone wanting a peek inside the mind of a famous author who constantly fought for success and happiness. Final illustrations not seen.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2018
The author best known for Anne of Green Gables left behind extensive letters and journals; Rosenberg has gathered information from these and other sources to create a detailed narrative that allows Montgomery's personality to come through. Readers will find context for where beloved books fit into Montgomery's career trajectory, as well as plenty of anecdotes that will sound familiar, since the author borrowed liberally from life in her fiction. But House of Dreams is frank about aspects of Montgomery's life that didn't make it into her books: legal disputes with her publisher, a dalliance with one man while she was engaged to another, and struggles with her family's mental health and her own, including the circumstances of her death, which may have been suicide. Rosenberg reads between the lines of her subject's records, noting Montgomery's father's flaws and grandmother's sacrifices even as Montgomery herself glosses over them. Morstad's ink line drawings illustrating Montgomery's life would be right at home in an Anne book, capturing a meaningful glance at classmate Gilbert Nate at an idyllic picnic or a young woman writing dreamily while ignoring a broom. A well-balanced biography that offers plenty of tidbits for fans and that acknowledges what Montgomery means to many, without overly romanticizing the author or her story. Appended with a timeline, source notes, and a bibliography. shoshana flax

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2018
The author best known for Anne of Green Gables left behind extensive letters and journals; Rosenberg has gathered information from these and other sources to create a detailed narrative that allows Montgomery's personality to come through. Morstad's ink line drawings would be right at home in an Anne book. It's a well-balanced biography that offers tidbits for fans without overly romanticizing the author's own story. Timeline. Bib.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)