As one of L. M. Montgomery’s granddaughters, I am proud and delighted that these short stories are now available for a wider audience. Even though my grandmother died before I was born, she was a large presence in my life. I grew up with great pride in her achievements and continue to honour her legacy to this day.
After Many Years is a delicious collection of my grandmother’s “long-lost” stories. I love reading short fiction; perhaps it’s because of time restraints of a busy life, or perhaps it’s the satisfaction of completing a story in a relatively short period of time. It’s also fun to begin and end a story before falling asleep! For me, the editorial notes at the end of each story in this collection make this a most fulfilling read. These notes often answered questions that were in the back of my mind, and illuminated my reading experience.
My father, Stuart, sitting at the dining room table of our family home in Toronto, would recount story after story about growing up in Leaskdale and Norval, Ontario, with his family and his famous mother. Stuart was also a talented storyteller and I only wish he had pursued his desire to be a writer as well; I think he would have been a good one!
Thank you to Carolyn Strom Collins, Christy Woster, and all the independent researchers involved in this project for seeing it through and adding these stories to the other published collections of my grandmother’s work. Thank you as well to the L. M. Montgomery Institute and its founder, Dr. Elizabeth Epperly, for supporting the project—I am grateful to you all for your efforts. I would also like to add my profound sadness to the late Christy Woster’s family and friends that she is not here to enjoy the publication of this book; her warmth and dedication to the world of L. M. Montgomery and her zest for life are missed by all who knew her.