Kindred Spirits Book Club

In today’s episode, we relive our unforgettable adventure to Prince Edward Island where we walked in L.M. Montgomery's footsteps, explored beloved Anne of Green Gables sites, and met the historians, scholars, and Montgomery family members who help keep her legacy alive. We are also taking you with us to the L.M. Montgomery Institute’s Biennial Conference, sharing highlights from our favorite sessions, including those we...

Live from Prince Edward Island and the L.M. Montgomery Institute Conference! We are so excited to bring a slice of this magical night at the conference to our listeners. Expect our signature deep dives, some interactive audience fun, and plenty of laughs as we discuss Montgomery, fandom, and our podcasting journey.  

Some of the audience participation audio isn’t the best quality (hey, we learned a lot!) but you get...

It’s our season finale! And even as we are trying to close the book on the Anne series, we couldn’t help adding just a few more thoughts, lingering questions, and hot takes to the conversation. Join us for Anne and ADHD debates, queer readings, forgotten characters, our dream fanfiction, and the enduring magic that makes Anne of Green Gables beloved around the world. It’s a joyful celebration of Kindred Spirits ev...

Get ready for a fun, culture-rich discussion as we explore Anne of Green Gables and its role in Canadian identity! Kelly and Ragon are joined by Brenna Clarke Gray and an amazing lineup of Canadian scholars, actors, and artists to share their unique insights. Learn why Anne is considered a national icon, the fascinating history of "CanCon," and how Anne’s story of finding a welcoming home beautifully reflects core Canadian va...

In our first of three episodes reflecting on the Anne of Green Gables series, we are revisiting the most significant themes from Anne's journey. We discuss the overall arc of Anne’s story, and how her friendships, romance, and quest for community and family remain with us. Tune in to discover what the beloved books teach us about love, belonging, and growing up.

Ragon read: We Could Be So Good,  You Should Be So Lucky, A...

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...

Kelly and Ragon are recapping The Blythes Are Quoted, the final book in the Anne series. We break down the book’s atypical structure and wild short stories – which feature fake paralysis, a literal kidnapping, and a deathbed murder confession! – and they discuss how the Blythes fit into it all. We also reflect on the heartbreaking power of Walter's wartime poetry, and how this complex book is a startling finish fo...

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&rsquo...

Susan Baker, the unsung heroine of Rilla of Ingleside, gets her due in today's episode. Dr. Kate Scarth of the University of Prince Edward Island and the L.M. Montgomery Institute joins Ragon and Kelly to chat about Ingleside's faithful, fearless housekeeper, and how Susan's domestic skills and homely philosophies support Rilla and the Blythes during The Great War. Kate also shares biographical information about Montgomery's own re...

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 shapi...

Our fascinating discussion with Dr. Andrea McKenzie continues in this episode. We returned to making connections between living through war and living through the Covid-19 pandemic. We discussed the extraordinary Red Cross and nursing work taken on by the young women of Rilla of Ingleside, and Andrea teaches us about what would have happened to the young women who took on so many new roles during the war once the men returned home....

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 ...

New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra joins the Kindred Spirits today to discuss her new book, Anne of a Different Island. We talk Anne of Green Gables, adaptation vs. homage, and idyllic summers on Mackinac Island. With digressions covering everything from book bans to ADHD representation to the inspiring power of Jonathan Crombie, this is a discussion you won’t want to miss.

Want more from Virginia Kantra?

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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 sea...

Youthful idealism, the horror of war, the power of propaganda, and the unbreakable bond between a young man and his faithful dog – that’s right, we are discussing brave Jem Blythe and loyal Dog Monday on Kindred Spirits Book Club. And because it’s the perfect time of year to do it, we also tell the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914. We can’t promise you won’t cry, but we are here for you with tissue...

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...

The final part of our Rilla Blythe character arc is here! We can’t wait for you to join us in this wide-ranging conversation about Rilla’s moral growth arc in Rilla of Ingleside. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome back the phenomenal Dr. Laura Robinson—a celebrated L.M. Montgomery expert and professor—whose unparalleled insights bring Rilla's sacrifices and moral courage to life.  If you want to know...

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 Swoon-worthy Po...