Lucy M. Montgomery 
The Blue Castle 

First published in 1926, “The Blue Castle” is one of the few stories for adults by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, famed for her “Anne of Green Gables” novels. It is the story of Valancy Stirling, a lonely and deeply unhappy “old maid”, who has grown increasingly despondent living with her critical and controlling mother and extended family. Her only escapes are the novels of her favorite author and her fantasies of an imagined fairy-tale place she calls the “Blue Castle”. As she approaches her thirtieth birthday, Valancy is diagnosed with a fatal heart condition and given only a year left to live. She decides to make the most of her time left and refuses to continue to live under the thumb of her judgmental family. She leaves to become a housekeeper for a gravely ill friend and there she meets and falls in love with Barney Snaith, a man with a mysterious reputation. Unafraid of scandal and her family’s disapproval, Valancy risks everything for love and finds more adventure and happiness than she could have ever imagined. This rich and satisfying romance continues to captivate readers a century after it was first written. This edition includes a biographical afterword.