Kilmeny of the Orchard (by Lucy Maud Montgomery)

(Amazon UK link)

'Kilmeny of the Orchard' is a short novel for teenagers and adults by LM Montgomery. She was a Canadian writer, best known for her 'Anne of Green Gables' series. I did not find this book anywhere near as compelling as the 'Anne' books, and yet it was surprisingly enjoyable in its way.

The overall story is straightforward: Eric, newly graduated from college, goes to teach at a village school for a few months to help a friend. There he meets Kilmeny, a very beautiful girl...

There are a few unexpected plot twists which I won't reveal, making it a little more unusual than the average romance. While the characters are a little stereotyped, they are still likeable and I found myself caring what happened.

I thought the conclusion was rather melodramatic. I would have preferred it to take a little longer, and be slightly less predictable.  Indeed, if the author had not been famous for her other works, I'm sure this little book would have been lost by now.

As it is, it's published in paperback and also available to read online since it was written in 1910 and is now out of copyright.

Recommended if you are a fan of Lucy Maud Montgomery, but it's not one of her best works, in my view.