L.M. Montgomery's 'tear stained' Ontario diaries now in print

From the time Lucy Maud Montgomery was 14-years-old, she kept a journal meticulously documenting her life and now, for the first time, her years spent in Ontario are available in printin a two-volume set.

A London, Ont. university professor discovered the diaries of the famed Anne of Green Gablesauthor in the mid-1960swhen interviewing Montgomery's son.

Elizabeth Waterstonsaid her "eyes just popped" when she learned of their existence. The diaries detail Montgomery's life between 1918-1921 and later between 1926-1929, a period of time when the author was living in Ontario.

"You look at her handwriting and maybe you see a little drop where a tear has smudged a word and it's incredible to read,"Waterstonsaid.

Waterstonco-edited an abridge editionof the diaries in 1982, but it wasn't until this month thatcomplete versions, including Montgomery's own photographs, werepublished.

The University ofGuelphpurchased all of the journalsand that's where the originalslive today.

Critics slow to accept Lucy MaudMontgomery

Anne of Green Gables is arguably one of the most popular series in Canadian literary history but for years critics passed Montgomery off as a children's writer.

"Most of the literary critics were male, and her work is very much about the lives of girls and women," Waterston explained.

Waterston, now 95-years-oldstudied Montgomery's work for decades, and is happy people will get a more complete look at the writer'slife through her own words.

"The [diaries]are brilliant in themselves. The picture of a woman who had her kind of courage, because there was a very dark side to her life, is worth publicizing, worth telling everyone about."