Author: L. M. Montgomery
Recommended Age: 15+
Date Published: 1926
Genre: Romance
Summary: Valancy Stirling has never been in love and she knows she never will be. Her entire life has been one of rules and oppressive authority, and all she can do is dream of her blue castle and of the life she hopes to have, but knows she can never live. And when Valancy receives a letter from a doctor that gives her only a few months to live, she decides to throw caution to the wind, and make the dream of her blue castle become a reality.
Notes from the Radical Reader:
- Noble Characters: Valancy Stirling is quiet and demure, but has secretly been harboring bitterness and anger against her family her entire life. At 28, she has no prospects for marriage and this casts her in the shadow of the community. Her decision to leave her family in search of freedom certainly sounds like every Disney movie out there, but Valancy’s journey from shackles to freedom is anything but. When she meets the rough-and-tumble Barney Snaith, despised and looked down on by her proud and wealthy family, Valancy begins to see that her pious mother and relatives are only putting on a facade for the people and town. In her rebellion against her family, she also rebels against the prejudice they pride themselves on, and she risks her reputation to show others true kindness, true charity, and true love.
- Captivating Plots: Runaway princess. Roguish villain. Forbidden marriage. What’s not to love about that trope? But L. M Montgomery has taken a common plot and twisted it into a tale of heartache and loss, understanding and love, and kindness seeing the truth that prejudice has been blind to. This book is mainly tailored towards girls, but as a classic, it appeals to any reader!
- Elaborate Worlds: Deerwood, Ontario is a fictional town with fictional characters. But L. M. Montgomery has created a very realistic little community where the pious church-going wealthy cast a prejudiced eye over the poor and outcast. Valancy is the mediator between the two, finding herself outcast from marriage, but raised in a wealthy family. The descriptions, authentic characters, and beautiful word choice all blend together to create the world of the Blue Castle. You will love this story.
Noteworthy Elements:
- Profanity: The story contains mild profanity, including a few instances of “d**n”, “h**l”, and the doctor’s exclamations of “My God” when he learns of a false diagnosis he gave to a patient, and of his son’s near-fatal accident.
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