—Lucy Maud Montgomery,
Anne of Green Gables (1908)
After Anne
USA Today Bestseller
Now Available from HarperCollins
As a young woman, Maud had dreams bigger than the whole of Prince Edward Island. Her exuberant spirit had always drawn frowns from her grandmother and their neighbors, but she knew she was meant to create, to capture and share the way she saw the world. And the young girl in Maud’s mind became more and more persistent: Here is my story, she said. Here is how my name should be spelled—Anne with an “e.”
But the day Maud writes the first lines of Anne of Green Gables, she gets a visit from the handsome new minister in town, and soon faces a decision: forge her own path as a spinster authoress, or live as a rural minister’s wife, an existence she once called “a synonym for respectable slavery.” The choice she makes alters the course of her life.
With a husband whose religious mania threatens their health and happiness at every turn, the secret darkness that Maud herself holds inside threatens to break through the persona she shows to the world, driving an ever-widening wedge between her public face and private self, and putting her on a path towards a heartbreaking end.
Beautiful and moving, After Anne reveals Maud’s hidden personal challenges while celebrating what was timeless about her life and art—the importance of tenacity and the peaceful refuge found in imagination.
Praise
“Diving into the life and mind of Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery, Steiner explores the unique writer who would go on to create one of the most cherished book series of all time. Opening in 1942 with her untimely death, the story recounts Maud’s life from her own perspective, from reminiscences about her childhood under the watchful eye of her disapproving and upright grandmother and the antics of her bosom friend and cousin, Frede, to later in life, after she found success as an author but was trapped in an unhappy marriage. This dramatized retelling of Montgomery’s life makes her struggles with depression, loneliness, and loss come to life, and the book also deals with themes of suicide. A sensitive soul with an active imagination not dissimilar to her favorite heroine, she interacts with her character and hears Anne’s voice clearly in her mind, letting the reader experience Anne Shirley all over again. Perfect for readers who love Montgomery’s seminal work or other classics like Little Women, with strong female leads who refuse to conform to societal standards or give up their passions!”
—Booklist
“A tender, complex, and surprising portrait of the author of the much-loved Anne of Green Gables series of novels…. The non-linear narrative adds interest and tension, especially as it seems the older Maud spends much of her time re-writing and editing her old journals, which we assume we are reading the originals of, in concern for her legacy. As a fan of Anne Shirley, I enjoyed the way Steiner interwove Anne’s thoughts and story into Maud’s thinking, but it’s not necessary to know about Green Gables to enjoy this novel. After Anne is a well-written and thoughtful look at a woman trying to balance a challenging marriage, motherhood, and a demanding writing career.”
—Historical Novel Society (read full review)
“I love learning about the authors of my favorite novels, and this stunning look into the personal troubles of someone who brought delight to millions shocked me but made me appreciate Montgomery’s words even more…. After Anne will be one of my top novels of the year, and I can think of no better tribute to Montgomery’s work than this novel that allows us to see the real Maud. The one behind the pages. The one with as much darkness as lightness. The book and Montgomery’s story will stay with me a long time. 5 out of 5 Stars.”
—Austenprose, Editor’s Pick (read full review)
—Brianna Labuskes, bestselling author of The Librarian of Burned Books
—Melissa Payne, bestselling author of A Light in the Forest
“An exquisite tribute to Lucy Maud Montgomery, the revered author who gave us so much scope for imagination. After Anne is for fans who long to know the woman behind Anne Shirley’s story. Get ready, this book will break your heart in the most splendid ways.”
—Sarah McCoy, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Marilla of Green Gables
—USA Today bestselling author Ali Dean
—Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
“The never-told story behind one of literature’s most enduring characters. Logan Steiner’s beautifully written tale of the triumphs and tragedies of Lucy Maud Montgomery is a captivating read for anyone who grew up wishing they could adventure around Avonlea with Anne of Green Gables.”
—Sarah James, internationally bestselling author of The Woman with Two Shadows
—Sarah Miller, author of Marmee, A Novel of Little Women
—Cindy L. Spear, author of Favoured by Romance (read full review)
“After Anne is a masterpiece, with lyrical, sensitive, confident writing. I have such deep respect for the writing craft and the depth of these characters. It was a joy and a satisfying heartache of a narration experience, and I was honored and thrilled to immerse myself in this beautifully researched and imagined story.”
—Tavia Gilbert, Voice of Choice: Booklist Magazine, Best Female Narrator Audie Award Winner, and narrator of After Anne
“Steiner’s tale is respectful and loving, but also unflinching. You can tell that while she is a great fan of LMM, she is also a realist about the tragedies that wore Maud down through her life: the great change in her husband, the estrangement from one of her two sons, the insistence of the reading public that her work was only for children. The difference between one’s public face and one’s private persona drives this novel.”
—Calgary Book Nerd on Substack (read full review)