“If it had not rained on a certain May morning Valancy Stirling’s whole life would have been entirely different,” (Montgomery 9).
Twenty-nine-year-old Valancy Stirling lives a sad and lonely life with her overbearing mother and strange aunt, never having been in love and considered the “old maid” of the Stirling clan. The only solace she finds are in the books of her favourite author, John Foster that her family mocks, and daydreams in her Blue Castle, a place where she can be who she wants and everything she wishes for comes true. But after learning from a doctor she only has a year to live, Valancy decides to be who she always wanted to be and finally starts to live.
I brought this book with me on my trip to Prince Edward Island for obvious reasons, not know that out of L.M. Montgomery’s twenty books this is the only one set in Ontario, where I am from. So bad planning on my part, but a great book nonetheless!
Valancy was a bit of an annoying character at the start, all “woe-is-me” and “my life sucks,” which it honestly did, but I enjoyed her character much more when she finally decided to be the version of her she always knew she was. There’s a lot of humour, the characters are all very interesting, and the writing is very strong. It’s also one of Montgomery’s few adult books, which isn’t to say this book is inappropriate in any way, but I was surprised that one of the characters had a child outside of wedlock considering the time this book was published.
The Blue Castle ticks off all the boxes of a classic romance and I’m surprised more people haven’t read it. Add this Canadian classic to your list, it’s one you don’t want to miss!
Publication: 1926
Publisher: Arcturus
Pages: 234 pages (Paperback)
Source: Owned
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Classics, Adult
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤
Summary:
Valancy Stirling is 29, unmarried, and has never been in love. Living with her overbearing mother and meddlesome aunt, she finds her only consolation in the “forbidden” books of John Foster and her daydreams of the Blue Castle–a place where all her dreams come true and she can be who she truly wants to be. After getting shocking news from the doctor, she rebels against her family and discovers a surprising new world, full of love and adventures far beyond her most secret dreams.
Sarah O'Connor 