Emily of New Moon

Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved tale about a young orphan girl with a fiery spirit, now reissued for Union Square & Co.’s Herald Classics line.

Originally published in 1923, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s lesser-known gothic classic Emily of New Moon has often lived in the shadow of Anne of Green Gables’ resounding success. Yet in the century since its publication, the novel—the first in Montgomery’s Emily Starr trilogy—has quietly amassed a reputation as a hidden gem. Written in the wake of World War I and on the heels of an influenza pandemic, Emily of New Moon speaks to a world of change and uncertainty, offering a scrappier, more complex heroine and flirting with the supernatural.

The novel follows Emily Byrd Starr—an orphan, like Anne—who, after her father's tragic death, is sent to live with her aunts at New Moon Farm on Prince Edward Island. Unhappy in her new circumstances, Emily is temperamental and surly, butting heads with her stern Aunt Elizabeth and her snobbish classmates. Her quick wit and passion for writing help her persevere, as do the new friends she makes, including Teddy Kent, a gifted artist, and Ilse Burnley, a tomboy who dares to stand up against the bullies. Emily’s fiery spirit and resilience is tested as she opens her heart to new experiences, and she grapples with what it means to become Emily of New Moon.

Although Anne was her greater success, Emily was Montgomery's personal favorite, and the heroine into which she poured the most of herself. To no surprise for the readers with whom Emily’s story continues to resonate—or for the BBC, which listed the novel among its list of “100 Most Inspiring Novels” in 2019—Emily of New Moon was, in Montgomery’s opinion, “the best book I have ever written.”

This edition features an introduction written by New York Times bestselling author Ann Napolitano, whose work includes Hello Beautiful, an Oprah's Book Club pick, and whose Dear Edward book premise is based on her love for Emily.