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Anne of Ingleside

Dedication
L. M. Montgomery’s Comments
Original Manuscript
Drawn from Life
Previous Incarnations

L. M. Montgomery wrote Anne of Ingleside, her last book, under the strain of distressing news for an upcoming World War II, constant worry over her sons’ college careers and domestic problems, and amidst her own and her husband’s illness.

Dedication

Will Pritchard

Anne of Ingleside is dedicated to Will Pritchard: “To W.G.P.”. Will and his sister Laura were friends of Montgomery in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. They were one of the first “kindred spirits” Montgomery found, she wrote in her journal “they are my kind of people”. It has been suggested that Diana Barry is modeled after Laura, and Gilbert Blythe after Will. The latter was Montgomery’s beau during her year out west, although Montgomery insisted there was nothing between them but friendship. They remained friends through correspondence until Will’s death in 1897 from influenza.

L. M. Montgomery’s comments

Here are excerpts from L. M. Montgomery’s journal and letters with comments on the writing, publication and reviews of Anne of Ingleside.
Monday, April 26, 1937

I began work again this morning and did three hours of spade work on Anne of Ingleside.

Friday, May 28, 1937

Ay di me. I can’t write anything just now when I am under such a strain of suspense and fear. However, I am doing what I can, getting Anne of Ingleside ready to write. (...click to read more)

Friday, July 16, 1937

I did some spade work on Anne of Ingleside but felt very sleepy.

Thursday, October 28, 1937

A very dull dark day. I finished the spade work on Anne of Ingleside. But will I ever bee able to write it! Certainly as long as I feel as I do now I cannot. And if I cannot get it ready in time for publication next year, I fear I shall find it hard sledding financially. There has been another market crash lately…

Wednesday, August 3rd, 1938

We have had two very oppressive and muggy days and at night the house is almost unbearable. I did 4 hours of spade work at the new Anne book in spite of the heat – which shows how far I’ve come since the spring. Yet I feel it could not take much to put me back. I am skating over thin ice.

Friday, Sept. 9, 1938

This cold rainy day I finished the last bit of spade work on Anne of Ingleside and it is now absolutely ready to start writing it. I dread trying to begin it. What if I find that I cannot write? I have often felt this dread before and it has always proved groundless.
Monday, Sept. 12, 1938

On this hot dark muggy day I sat me down and began to write Anne of Ingelside. It is a year and nine months since I wrote a single line of creative work. But I can still write. I wrote a chapter. A burden rolled from my spirit. And I was suddenly back in my own world with all my dear Avonlea and Glen folks again. It was like going home. But my eyes bothered me a good deal while writing.

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 1938

Wrote another chapter today and hated to stop. It is heavenly to be able to lose myself in my work.

But the war situation darkens every day and Hitler is still shrieking defiances at everyone…

Monday, Sept. 26, 1938

I did not feel well all day – somewhat obsessed. I suppose I am over tired. I managed a chapter of Anne but it dragged.

Monday, October 17, 1938

I have about half of Anne of Ingleside written. Some days I enjoy writing it – other days I am just draggy enough.

Thursday, Dec. 8, 1938

I finished Anne of Ingleside today – my twenty-first book. I always wonder now if I will every write another one. There are lots I want to write – but I am getting a little tired. I love to write still – I will always love it. But –

March 12 1939 letter to G. B. MacMillan

On September first I began work on a new book and finished it at New Years, “Anne of Ingleside.” Yes, another Anne book, much against my will and in response to pleading publishers. However, it seems profitable to write Anne books…. “Anne of Ingleside” is really more about Anne’s children than about her and I don’t think it is “up to” the other books in the series.

Original Manuscript

Anne of Ingleside was written from March/April 1937 to December 28th, 1938. (note: the Anne of Green Gables series was not written in order.*) The manuscript is 672 pages half-sheet pages written back to front and on the typed manuscript of Green Gables, with no added notes. Crossing-outs and changes are made in red ink. In Anne and Christine’s duel at the end, Christine’s mocking “What a family!” and Anne’s sharp combacks about Christine’s childlessness were added afterwards.

Drawn from Life

“His name is Gyp. Hasn’t he got the cutest tail? I can keep him, can’t I, Mother?” — Anne of Ingleside ch.18

We had a dog “Gyp” - a nice old dog ,with one very bad fault. He killed several kittens for me…. I decided that it was no use trying to “keep a cat” as long as Gyp was alive. Gyp lived until I was almost twelve. Then he died and I grieved over that too, for I was very fond of old Gyp. —Selected Journals of L. M. Montgomery January 7, 1910

“This one is God and this is My God,” — Anne of Ingleside ch.3

LMM’s sons did this… I’m still looking for the quote!

Previous Incarnations

Part of Anne of Ingleside was published in installments in a Toronto periodical, the Onward in 1932, under the title “Chronicles of Ingleside.” Following are photographs of an original copy of the Onward, which can also be viewed at Bala’s Museum with Memories of L. M. Mongomery.

“I Know a Secret” Good Housekeeping, August 1935.

In Anne of Ingleside, Nan’s friend Dovie Johnson tells her the “secret” that she was exchanged at birth with Six-toed Jimmy Thomas’s daughter. This adventure is taken entirely from “I Know a Secret.” Jane Lawrence in the original story was changed to Nan Blythe, Bartibog was changed to Glen St. Mary, and the original story has a romantic ending for Jane’s mother.

You can read this story in The Doctor’s Sweetheart and Other Stories, edited by Catherine McLay. This story has also been adapted into an episode of a television movie in 1982.