LM Montgomery walked through the woods here trying out dialogue for Anne, her adoptive parents Matthew & Marilla, and her friends Diana & Gilbert. Nature was her kindred spirit, and this home on Prince Edward Island inspired her greatly in writing Anne of Green Gables. The author’s own modest home is almost 10 miles away still in a simple rural village, while the heritage area above is now in the middle of an entertainment district with kiddie rides, candy shops and themed merchandise. At the time Montgomery wrote the book in 1905, it took courage, imagination, determination and hard work to figure out how to inspire people with her delightful story of a girl who embodies those characteristics in a practical, conservative and mundane setting. Five times her manuscript was rejected, before being accepted 3 years later.

While this site is not a world heritage site (yet), I wanted to visit. Anne is a romantic, who fills herself with ideals from literature, and she has to make a place for herself in a stern, reserved household. The themes of youthful dreams, belonging, love, making something of oneself and of wisdom are timeless and precious. When I lived in Japan, I saw Anne interpreted and adapted into a different culture, yet still simply relatable on the other side of the world. There’s great power in imagination, including creating characters that take on a life of their own and also in re-imagining ourselves to live better. Driving past the old farms and churches made me appreciate Montgomery’s imagination all the more, although I suspect she would be less impressed by the summer crowds of kids eating ice cream and riding around in circles. There’s not much imagination involved in doing the same as everyone else.