Kindred Spirits Book Club

We’re joined by Dr. Benjamin Lefebvre to dive into the mysteries of L.M. Montgomery’s final, unconventional work, The Blythes Are Quoted. We explore the book’s journey to publication, its surprisingly dark themes, and how it reshapes the legacy of our beloved Anne Shirley. It’s a fascinating look at the complex reality behind one of Montgomery’s most controversial works. You can see more from our guest, Dr. Benjamin Lefebvre over at ＜a href=”https://lmmonline.org/”＞ L.M. Montgomery Online＜/a＞. Inspired by: Ragon is inspired by the Love’s Academic series by India Holton, starting with the first one, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9780593547281”＞ The Ornithologist’s Field Guide To Love＜/a＞. Kelly is inspired by ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9781250751362”＞ Ninth House＜/a＞ by Leigh Bardugo. Ben is inspired by ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9781771087704”＞ Imagining Anne＜/a＞ by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly for peak inside Maud’s scrapbooks and the novel ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9780143191261”＞ Maude＜/a＞ by Melanie J. Fishbane for a fictionalized account of Maud’s teenage years. You can support the pod by shopping through our ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/shop/kindredspiritsbookclub”＞ Bookshop＜/a＞ link for any books we’ve recommended! If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

For our final episode discussing Rilla of Ingleside, we invited our friend Dr. Emily Woster for a good old-fashioned geek out on everything we love about this book. Our conversation is all over the place in the best way – from the books that we think would be great companion reads to Rilla, to the folklore that influenced Walter’s prophetic visions, to deep dives on a few of our favorite scenes, to L.M. Montgomery’s wartime diaries. It’s a freewheeling and fun conversation you won’t want to miss! You can find more of Emily Woster’s work at ＜a href=”https://annemanuscript.ca/“＞The Anne Manuscript ＜/a＞ for high quality scans of LMM’s original handwritten manuscript and notes. ＜a href=”https://kindredspaces.ca/bookshelf“＞ The L.M. Montgomery Bookshelf＜/a＞ where you can find scans of books from LMM’s library including some of her own notations in the books and Emily’s information and notes about history and context of these books! An amazing resource! And you can follow Emily on＜a href=”https://bsky.app/profile/emilywoster.bsky.social“＞ bluesky＜/a＞ for updates about her work. Registration for the ＜a href=”https://lmmontgomery.ca/upcoming-conference/2026-l-m-montgomery-and-change/”＞ 2026 L.M. Montgomery Conference＜/a＞ is now open so come join us there! Or register for a free virtual viewing of Megan Follows keynote address! Inspired by: Ragon is inspired by Rilla’s vanity and recommends the ＜a href=”https://tymobeauty.com/collections/hair-curler/products/tymo-curlpro”＞ Tymo CurlPro Hair Curler＜/a＞ and the ＜a href=”https://tymobeauty.com/collections/hair-straighteners/products/tymo-hair-straightening-comb”＞ Tymo Ring Hair Comb＜/a＞ for easy, polished hair. Kelly is inspired by the splurgy ＜a href=”https://softservices.com/products/theraplush-set-hold”＞ Theraplush hand cream＜/a＞ for soft hands. Emily is inspired by ＜a href=”https://welcome.storyworth.com/”＞ Storyworth＜/a＞ for guided memory books. You can support the pod by shopping through our ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/shop/kindredspiritsbookclub”＞ Bookshop＜/a＞ link for any books we’ve recommended! If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

Kelly and Ragon are diving into prophecy, patriotism, and porch-debate energy in Rilla of Ingleside. From Miss Oliver’s eerie dreams to Norman Douglas’s keyboard-warrior vibes, we unpack all the different ways the Glen justifies — and questions — the war. Is it fate? A moral necessity? A cosmic inevitability? As we start wrapping up our Rilla season, we zoom out to listen to the full chorus of opinions shaping wartime life at Ingleside. Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by Heated Rivalry! Whether you watch the show on HBO/Crave or read the ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9781335534637”＞ book＜/a＞ by Rachel Reid, enjoy some fun, romantic, spicy distraction. Kelly especially recommends the third book in the series, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9781335534590”＞ Tough Guy＜/a＞, for some Anne of Green Gables references! Ragon is inspired by the game, ＜a href=”https://www.explodingkittens.com/products/swords?srsltid=AfmBOorPYKgIg41R8ZERw_O3JESOBQY1X7XCIWkmx_0BA4q1zFGLBnoG”＞ Let’s Hit Each Other With Fake Swords＜/a＞ for some silly family fun. You can support the pod by shopping through our ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/shop/kindredspiritsbookclub”＞ Bookshop＜/a＞ link for any books we’ve recommended! If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

What were Faith Meredith, Nan and Di Blythe and Mary Vance doing while Rilla was raising a war baby and running the Junior Reds? We get some expert knowledge from Dr. Andrea McKenzie as she joins the Kindred Spirits to discuss the remarkable young women of Rilla of Ingleside, and the causes they took up to support a nation at war. We are discussing the parallels between the homefront experience of WWI and our own experiences of Covid-19 and how Andrea’s founding of the L.M. Montgomery Readathon on Facebook during lockdown became a runaway hit. We learned so much from Andrea about that we couldn’t bear to cut our conversation short, so this is only Part 1! Stay tuned for Part 2! If you want even more of Andrea’s expertise, check out the absolute goldmine of information on the ＜a href=”https://www.facebook.com/groups/512319292977623/”＞ L.M. Montgomery Readathon Facebook Page＜/a＞. You can support the pod by shopping through our ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/shop/kindredspiritsbookclub”＞ Bookshop＜/a＞ link for any books we’ve recommended! If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

Walter Blythe stands as the moral conscience of Rilla of Ingleside. In this episode, Dr. Corey McEleney joins us to examine Walter’s transformation from a conflict-averse college student into a celebrated war hero, and how his empathetic reflections on war allowed L.M. Montgomery to to wrestle with her own doubts. We also turn to WWI battlefield poetry, tracing its evolution from patriotic fervor to some of the most searing critiques of the war. The poems mentioned or discussed by Corey McEleney are here: ＜a href=”https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47380/in-flanders-fields” In Flanders Fields＜/a＞ by John McCrae ＜a href=” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57270/the-poet-as-hero” The Poet As Hero＜/a＞ by Siegfried Sassoon ＜a href=”https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57368/glory-of-women” Glory of Women＜/a＞ by Siegfried Sassoon ＜a href=”https://allpoetry.com/%27They%27” They＜/a＞ by Siegfried Sassoon ＜a href=”https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57217/the-general-56d23a7de4d1c” The General ＜/a＞ by Siegfried Sassoon ＜a href=”https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46560/dulce-et-decorum-est?query=in%20flander” Dulce et Decorum Est ＜/a＞by Wilfred Owen You can find more about Corey McEleney at ＜a href=:https://www.fordham.edu/academics/departments/english/faculty/corey-mceleney/” Fordham University ＜/a＞. Inspired by: Corey is inspired by the novel ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9780142180594”＞ Regeneration＜/a＞ by Pat Barker for a fictionalized account of the WWI poet/soldier Siegried Sassoon. Kelly is inspired by the movie ＜a href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8579674/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_1917”＞ 1917＜/a＞ directed by Sam Mendes for a realistic portrayal of WWI inspired by Sam Mendes own grandfather. Ragon is inspired by the novel ＜a href=” https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9781250799081”＞ The Everlasting＜/a＞ by Alix E. Harrow for a fantastical time travel love story that’s also a reflection on war, heroism and propaganda. You can support the pod by shopping through our ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/shop/kindredspiritsbookclub”＞ Bookshop＜/a＞ link for any books we’ve recommended! If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe are a love story for the ages, but what does that love story look like 24 years later? Today’s episode is all about the challenges of parenting teen and young adult children in a time of crisis, and Anne and Gilbert’s shared commitment to their values and to each other. Digressions include a Muppet Anne of Green Gables and our foolproof holiday gifts. Inspired by: Ragon is inspired by the parenting books ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9780593500033”＞ The Emotional Lives Of Teenagers＜/a＞ by Lisa Damour and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9780593719367”＞ Hello Cruel World＜/a＞ by Melinda Wenner Moyer. And for teen approved holiday gifts, her daughter and friends recommend super fuzzy blankets and oversized sweatshirts. Kelly is inspired by the party game, Wavelength ＜a href=”https://www.wavelength.zone/”＞ Wavelength ＜a/＞ and for some holiday spirit she recommends helping others by adopting a family in need through a local organization or doing an Angel Tree gift in your community. You can support the pod by shopping through our ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/shop/kindredspiritsbookclub”＞ Bookshop＜/a＞ link for any books we’ve recommended! If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

Rilla’s character arc continues in our episode about how cleverness can take many forms, and we are redefining “geeking out” by framing our conversation with Dungeons and Dragons! Rilla’s intelligence, wisdom, and charisma may not take an academic bent, but she’s brilliant and capable in her own way. Come for the LM Montgomery deep dive, stay for the dragons. You can check us out on the ＜a href=”https://linktr.ee/swoonworthypodcast?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=34457440-61a8-4ac4-a2a6-830044930c33”＞ Swoon-worthy Podcast＜/a＞ to hear our fun conversation about why the 1985 Anne of Green Gables mini-series is the perfect nostalgic period piece! Inspired by: Ragon is inspired by the brain game ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/4005556765829”＞ Rush Hour＜/a＞ , fun for all ages. Kelly is inspired by the logic games at ＜a href=”https://murdle.com/”＞ Murdle online＜/a＞ and the ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9781250892317”＞ Murdle books＜/a＞ for pen and paper puzzle solving. You can support the pod by shopping through our ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/shop/kindredspiritsbookclub”＞ Bookshop＜/a＞ link for any books we’ve recommended! If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

We are launching into Rilla of Ingleside with one of our signature character studies! Rilla Blythe is the family beauty, and she knows it. But what good is being pretty and popular in the midst of a terrible war? We’re discussing parties and weddings, courtships and crushes, and the way World War I changed everything. We’re also comparing Rilla to a similar heroine – Jane Austen’s Emma. Inspired by: Kelly recommends war romances like ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9780679745204”＞ The English Patient＜/a＞ by Michael Ondaatje and the Survivor’s Club series by Mary Balogh, the first one is ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/a/117816/9780440245308”＞ The Proposal＜/a＞. Ragon recommends the Nyx Smushy Soft Matte Lip Balm ＜a href=”https://www.nyxcosmetics.com/lip/lip-balm/smushy-matte-lip-balm/NYX_1143.html?dwvar_NYX__1143_color=Silly-Sippin”＞ Nyx Smushy Soft Matte Lip Balm＜/a＞ for a blurred lip moment. You can support the pod by shopping through our ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/shop/kindredspiritsbookclub”＞ Bookshop＜/a＞ link for any books we’ve recommended! If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

Hey there Kindred Spirits, we’re back in your feed and ready for a brand new season! On today’s episode, we share our favorite summer reads and summer essentials, reflect on the unexpected pleasures of starting a niche Anne of Green Gables podcast, and preview our season to come. Big News! We were featured on our favorite substack, Culture Study so go read our ＜a href=”https://annehelen.substack.com/p/the-unexpected-benefits-of-starting-6f6“＞ Interview ＜/a＞ for a behind the scenes look at the pod! What we’ve read: Kelly has read: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/untitled-8715/72852333144840f3?ean=9780593158715&next=t“＞ Atmosphere ＜/a＞ by Taylor Jenkins Reid, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/great-big-beautiful-life-reese-s-book-club-emily-henry/57d8b57f547bfb34?ean=9780593441299&next=t“＞ Great Big Beautiful Life ＜/a＞ by Emily Henry, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/these-summer-storms-a-novel-sarah-maclean/b7d9a29f7c2e1444?ean=9780593972250&next=t“＞ These Summer Storms ＜/a＞ by Sarah MacLean and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/katabasis-a-novel-r-f-kuang/869e65f8211dce8b?ean=9780063446243&next=t“＞ Katabasis＜/a＞ by R.F. Kuang. Ragon has read: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/emily-wilde-s-map-of-the-otherlands-heather-fawcett/0625d0896df5cc9a?ean=9780593500217&next=t“＞ Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands＜/a＞ by Heather Fawcett , ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/rules-for-ruin-mimi-matthews/a937e49e8b6f6c9e?ean=9780593639290&next=t“＞ Rules For Ruin＜/a＞ by Mimi Matthews, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/an-enchantment-of-ravens-margaret-rogerson/d4b057da524816f2?ean=9781481497596&next=t“＞ An Enchantment of Ravens ＜/a＞ by Maggie Rogerson and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/when-the-world-tips-over-jandy-nelson/4963d776d59f5872?ean=9780525429098&next=t“＞ When the World Tips Over ＜/a＞ by Jandy Nelson. She also saw Sarah Beth Durst talk about her new book ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-enchanted-greenhouse-sarah-beth-durst/62f86bfe3ba37154?ean=9781250333988&next=t“＞ The Enchanted Greenhouse ＜/a＞ and Sangu Mandana talk about her new book ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-witch-s-guide-to-magical-innkeeping-sangu-mandanna/3d4d326e0c4d04ab?ean=9780593439371&next=t“＞ A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping ＜/a＞. . Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by summer beach days with the Sun Ninja ＜a href=” “＞ ＜/a＞ beach shade. Ragon is inspired by the best popsicle ever: Smitten Kitchen’s Peach Melba Popsicles ＜a href=” “＞ ＜/a＞ . If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

We’re popping in to let you know that we are hard at work on season 5! We are giving you a sneak peek to the season ahead so you can get to reading!

It’s the last episode of Season 4 and we’re back from the Stratford Festival and diving headfirst into Anne of Green Gables—the play! We dive into everything we loved, from the production’s inventive stagecraft to the standout performances. And of course we share the moments that made us laugh, cry, and geek out with other Kindred Spirits. Whether you’ve seen the show or just wish you had, this episode is your front-row seat. And we wrap up this final episode of Season 4 with our recommendations for summer reading! Inspired by: We are inspired by summer reading! Kelly recommends: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/rilla-of-ingleside-l-m-montgomery/11412366?ean=9780553269222&next=t“＞ Rilla of Ingleside＜/a＞ to get a jump on our 5th season! Also, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-god-of-the-woods-liz-moore/20696242?ean=9780593418918&next=t“＞ The God of the Woods ＜/a＞ by Liz Moore for a juicy, thrilling read, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/james-percival-everett/20246670?ean=9780385550369&next=t“＞ James ＜/a＞ by Percival Everett for a beautiful and heartbreaking reimagining of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective, and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/magpie-murders-anthony-horowitz/18279718?ean=9780062645234&next=t“＞ Magpie Murders ＜/a＞ by Anthony Horowitz for a book within a book twisty mystery. Ragon recommends: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-spellshop-sarah-beth-durst/20658850?ean=9781250333971&next=t“＞ The Spellshop ＜/a＞ by Sarah Beth Durst for a cozy fantasy world, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/kills-well-with-others-deanna-raybourn/21550882?ean=9780593638514&next=t“＞ Kills Well With Others ＜/a＞ by Deanna Raybourn for the adventures of retired female assassins, and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/buried-deep-and-other-stories-naomi-novik/20984713?ean=9780593600351&next=t“＞ Buried Deep ＜/a＞ by Naomi Novik for a collection of wildly diverse fantasy short stories by one of our favorite fantasy writers. If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

Felicity King in The Golden Road inspired today’s episode about unlikeable girls in L.M. Montgomery’s fiction. We talk about what makes these girls and young women challenging, why we often end up liking them anyway, and what we think Montgomery was doing by including depictions of girlhood that break the mold. Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by the podcast ＜a href=”https://novelpairings.com/”＞ Novel Pairings＜/a＞ and their current read along of Emma, by Jane Austen. Ragon is inspired by the new musical ＜a href=”https://cluelessonstage.com/”＞ Clueless＜/a＞ currently on the West End in London. But if you can’t get there, you should rewatch the 90’s classic ＜a href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112697/”＞ Clueless the movie＜/a＞. If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

While many of L.M. Montgomery’s novels depict romanticized childhoods, perhaps no book is more wistfully nostalgic about a childhood on Prince Edward Island than The Golden Road. We discuss the characters’ transition from childhood to adulthood, the ways their childhood was captured in real time and in memory, and our own nostalgia for golden moments of youth. Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by: the old-fashioned art of flower pressing! You can use a ＜a href=”https://www.rainbowresource.com/018952.html?trackcode=googleBase&srsltid=AfmBOopGeT1dPmfDIELLaNigM4yM30ETntTZkAp5aGY03lAO1mOuHfd6424&gQT=1”＞ kit＜/a＞ or go old-school and just use a heavy book! Ragon is inspired by: the show ＜a href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8740614/”＞ The Residence＜/a＞ on Netflix for some quirky detective hijinks. If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞