Lucy Maud (L. M.) Montgomery (1874-1942) was born in Clifton (now New London) on Prince Edward Island. She would become Canada's best known author, mainly for a series of novels beginning in 1908 with Anne of Green Gables. The book was an immediate success. The central character, Anne Shirley, an orphaned girl, made Montgomery famous in her lifetime and gave her an international following.

The first novel was followed by a number of sequels with Anne as the central character. Montgomery went on to publish 20 novels as well as 530 short stories, 500 poems, and 30 essays. Most of the novels were set in Prince Edward Island, and locations within Canada's smallest province became literary landmarks and popular tourist sites — notably, Green Gables farm, the genesis of Prince Edward Island National Park. Montgomery was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935.

Montgomery's writings, including diaries and letters, continue to be read and studied by scholars and readers worldwide.