Great escape reading. Love picking this one up every few years and re-reading.

I am a true lover of L. M. Montgomery's works, but was a little nervous she would fall short when it came to short stories instead of novels. The first couple seemed almost petty to me - but perhaps it was my critical mindset when I first began to the book. As I got further into it, I found many of these stories to be perfect gems. Even in a short story, Lucy's characters are fully developed, alive, and believable. Her stories were witty, enjoyable and teaching - with The Strike at Putney being one of my favorites. A fun read, perfect for busy times - just take it a story at a time.

I will re-read this collection of short stories over and over! Montgomery was a master of character writing, and I wish I could spend more time with each main character. My favorite stories were "At the Bay Shore Farm," "In Spite of Myself," and "The Strike at Putney."

eh.

Montgomery never fails to make me love her stories, give me that nice and cozy feeling, not even in the short stories where I'm slightly annoyed with the gender roles and the moral. Anything that is against the odds is rarely realistic, and that is too bad for the real realistic world.

These stories are primarily ones that never saw the light of day after being published in magazines in Montgomery's lifetime. There's a reason for that. I love reading more my L.M. Montgomery, but these are not my favorites. Maybe because they're grouped together by theme? The stories get very repetitive. And some of the stories showed up as scenes in her books. Fans of Montgomery should read these, but don't pick this up expecting to fall in love with it.

A bit repetitive, yes, but I just love the stories of this era.

I always enjoy rereading these short stories!

Feb 2025 reread:
Some of the stories involve chance more than achievement from effort, but uplifting and inspiring stories nonetheless. I'm not sure how In Spite of Myself is an achievement sorry, but it is one of my favorites.

***
A great collection of stories, each of which I liked. They were nicely varied, although the plots were the same, hinging on either stubborn, forbidding relatives or rich people and their unwillingness to help the main characters, or young people proving that they aren't like disreputable predecessors-sometimes both. It's hard to pick favorites but here they are:

The Fillmore Elderberries,

Bessie's Doll (though I'm little annoyed at Bessie for getting so cast down when the doll is sold),

At the Bay Shore Farm (I love Frances' decision about her writing-'she must aim, however humbly, to help her readers to higher planes of thought and endeavour. Then, and only then, would it be worthwhile),

How We Went to the Wedding (the attitudes about Indians and 'half-breeds' are marked, but they don't bother me, since they are a product of the times and are more out of fear and ignorance than malice; and the girls are so charming and funny, with their ham!),

Their Girl Josie,

A Question of Acquaintance,

The Strike of Putney (this one reminds me of the Andy Griffith Show episode in which Ellie Walker wants to be on the town council but the men won't hear of it. So she and the other women break down the mens' will by causing them mishaps)

Inspiring, funny, and entertaining on the whole, and I say that Rea Wilmshurst knew what she was about when she grouped LMM's short stories together by theme. I wish I could find out more about her, as someone who was so passionate about LMM's work and put so much effort into bringing it to more people!

Oh, and I think the cover represents Joscelyn from Their Girl Josie. The girl looks like she's leaving home half sadly, half exultantly and determinedly, like Josie did in the story.

These tales are more on the uplifting, inspirational side. They are good, but not as much my favorites.

Since LM Montgomery is just the best author in the world, no surprise that these short stories were good. True, I like Blythes Are Quoted,The and Chronicles of Avonlea much more, but these stories were mainly nice because the characters were all kindred spirits.

My favorite one may be the last one, The Strike at Putney. It was humorous and the women were all sensible and intelligent and didn't the men get what they deserved XD

I am pretty sure A Case of Trespass is in another book, because I've read this one before.

Fun short stories by the author of Anne of Green Gables.