''Further Chronicles of Avonlea'' is a collection of short stories by
L. M. Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942), published as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a collection of novels, essays, short stories, and poetry beginning in 1908 with ''Anne of Green Gables''. She ...
and is a sequel to ''
Chronicles of Avonlea
''Chronicles of Avonlea'' is a collection of short stories by L. M. Montgomery, related to the ''Anne of Green Gables'' series. It features an abundance of stories relating to the fictional Canadian village of Avonlea, and was first published in ...
''. Published in 1920, it includes a number of stories relating to the inhabitants of the fictional Canadian village of
Avonlea and its region, located on
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
. Sometimes marketed as a book in the
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel '' Anne of Green Gables'' by L. M. Montgomery. Shirley is featured throughout the classic book series, which revolve around her life and family in 19th and 20th-century Prince Edw ...
series, Anne plays only a minor role in the book: out of the 15 stories in the collection, she narrates and stars in only one ("The Little Brown Book of Miss Emily"), and is briefly mentioned in passing in two others ("Aunt Cynthia's Persian Cat" and "The Return of Hester"). Three other characters from the Anne books are seen in brief secondary roles: Diana Barry and Marilla Cuthbert in "The Little Brown Book of Miss Emily", and Rachel Lynde in "Sara's Way". As well, Matthew Cuthbert is mentioned in passing in "The Conscience Case of David Bell".
Stories
# "Aunt Cynthia's Persian Cat": Aunt Cynthia leaves her beloved
Persian cat
The Persian cat (), also known as the Persian longhair, is a long-haired breed of cat characterized by a round face and short muzzle. The first documented ancestors of Persian cats were imported into Italy from Persia around 1620. Widely recog ...
Fatima in the care of her unwilling nieces Sue and Ismay Meade. When Fatima disappears, Sue must call on desperate measures to avoid wealthy Aunt Cynthia's wrath.
# "The Materializing of Cecil": Unwilling to admit that she has never had a suitor, Miss Charlotte Holmes invents the dashing Cecil Fenwick of Blakely, New Brunswick to keep the
Avonlea gossips at bay. When the real Cecil appears, Miss Charlotte fears the truth will emerge.
# "Her Father's Daughter": Rachel Spencer invites her estranged father to her wedding, to the fury of her mother Isabella.
# "Jane's Baby": When Jane Roberts dies, her cousins Miss Rosetta Ellis and Mrs. Charlotte Wheeler feud over her child.
# "The Dream-Child": A mysterious wailing calls grieving mother Josie to the seaside; she believes it is the cry of the ghost of her and David's first baby.
# "The Brother Who Failed": During the Monroes' reunion at the family home in Avonlea, Aunt Isabel tactlessly remarks that Robert is "the only failure," and his siblings initiate a scheme to restore his self-esteem.
# "The Return of Hester": Dying Hester Meredith forces her sister Margaret to promise she won't marry Hugh Blair, but when Margaret and Hugh fall desperately in love, Hester herself intervenes.
# "The Little Brown Book of Miss Emily":
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel '' Anne of Green Gables'' by L. M. Montgomery. Shirley is featured throughout the classic book series, which revolve around her life and family in 19th and 20th-century Prince Edw ...
and her friend
Diana Barry
''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...
become acquainted with irritating old maid Miss Emily Leith while they're staying at Echo Lodge in Grafton; upon Miss Emily's death, Anne receives a mysterious parcel. Narrated by Anne Shirley.
# "Sara's Way": Mrs. Eben Andrews discusses her daughter Sara and Sara's suitor Lige Baxter with Mrs. Jonas Andrews. When Lige's brother's business is ruined, everyone involved has a different view of the situation.
# "The Son of his Mother": Thyra Carewe learns that her beloved son Chester has bestowed his affections on the beautiful Damaris Garland.
# "The Education of Betty": Newly widowed Sara Churchill arranges for a former beau to tutor her untamed daughter Betty.
# "In Her Selfless Mood": Eunice Carr devotes her life to granting her mother Naomi Holland's deathbed request that she look after Christopher Holland, Naomi's son and Eunice's half-brother.
# "The Conscience Case of David Bell": David Bell refuses to testify in the name of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, to the horror of Avonlea society.
# "Only a Common Fellow": Story of the Mark Foster/Phillippa Clark/Owen Blair love triangle.
# "Tannis of the Flats": Jerome Carey,
telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
officer in "The Flats," a trading station in the Canadian Northwest, becomes the object of beautiful "half-breed" Tannis Dumont's affections, but he falls in love with Elinor Blair of Avonlea.
Controversy
The book was published without the permission of L.M. Montgomery, and was formed from stories she had decided not to publish in the earlier ''
Chronicles of Avonlea
''Chronicles of Avonlea'' is a collection of short stories by L. M. Montgomery, related to the ''Anne of Green Gables'' series. It features an abundance of stories relating to the fictional Canadian village of Avonlea, and was first published in ...
''. Montgomery sued her publishers, L.C. Page & Co, and won $18,000 in damages after a legal battle lasting nearly nine years.
Series
Montgomery continued the story of Anne Shirley in a series of sequels. They are listed in the order of Anne's age in each novel.
References
Further Chronicles of Avonlea freely available at
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg (PG) is a Virtual volunteering, volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."
It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the ...
Further Chronicles of Avonlea covers, from L.M. Montgomery's personal scrapbook
External links
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L.M. Montgomery OnlineFormerly the L.M. Montgomery Research Group, this site includes a blog, extensive lists of primary and secondary materials, detailed information about Montgomery's publishing history, and a filmography of screen adaptations of Montgomery texts. See, in particular, the page abou
''Further Chronicles of Avonlea''
The L.M. Montgomery Literary Society This site includes information about Montgomery's works and life and research from the newsletter, The Shining Scroll.
{{Anne of Green Gables
1920 short story collections
Anne of Green Gables books
Short story collections by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Prince Edward Island in fiction
McClelland & Stewart books
1920 children's books