Mary Henley Rubio '61 Authors Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings

October 12, 2008

October 12, 2008, Greencastle, Ind. — Mary Henley Rubio, a 1961 graduate of DePauw University, is the author of author of Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings.  It is published by Doubleday, which notes, "Mary Henley Rubio has spent over two decades researching Montgomery's life, and has put together a comprehensive and penetrating picture of this Canadian literary icon, all set in rich social context. Extensive interviews with people who knew Montgomery -- her son, maids, friends, relatives, all now deceased -- are only part of the material gathered in a journey to understand Montgomery that took Rubio to Poland and the highlands of Scotland."

Known to readers as L.M. Montgomery, the subject of the book (1874–1942) is best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, which was published in 1908.

The Ottawa Citizen calls Rubio's new book, "Absolutely gripping ... nothing short of brilliant, an un-put-downable read, and a wonderful examination of this troubled woman's tragic life."

The Montreal Gazette adds that The Gift of Wings is "a poignant story about a real family.... The result of Rubio's research is pure Canadian Gothic: a story of sexual repression, class conflict and family secrets."

Learn more, and order the book, at Amazon.com.

Mary Henley Rubio is University Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph. She has spent over two decades researching Montgomery's life, and co-edited The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery (five volumes, 1985-2004), co-authored Writing a Life: L.M. Montgomery, and edited Harvesting Thistles: The Textual Garden of L.M. Montgomery.

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