Benjamin Lefebvre, editor of The L.M. Montgomery Library, is director of L.M. Montgomery Online. His publications include an edition of Montgomery’s rediscovered final book, The Blythes Are Quoted, and the three-volume critical anthology The L.M. Montgomery Reader, which won the 2016 PROSE Award for Literature from the Association of American Publishers. He lives in Kitchener, Ontario.
Twice upon a Time reveals Benjamin Lefebvre's sleuthing and editing at its best. For scholars and fans alike, this collection of short stories offers a new way of re-experiencing Montgomery's fiction through the lens of works that often serve dually as prequels and apprenticeship pieces for longer fiction. These stories, alongside Lefebvre's expert contextualization, help illuminate Montgomery's methodology and will be a boon for scholars. Twice upon a Time is a treasure trove for all those who appreciate L.M. Montgomery's genius as a social satirist. - Irene Gammel, author of Looking for Anne of Green Gables Expertly researched and thoughtfully organized, this selection of Montgomery's stories illuminates how one of Canada's most successful professional authors recycled and adapted her work during the heyday of popular magazine publication in the late nineteenth century and the first three decades of the twentieth. Benjamin Lefebvre's detailed editorial content brings important, fresh understanding of Montgomery's processes of composition by connecting her often obscure stories with her better-known fiction. - Carole Gerson, Department of English, Simon Fraser University It is no small feat to choose two dozen stories from among the several hundred of Montgomery's publications in the short story genre. Benjamin Lefebvre's selections in Twice Upon a Time, along with his notes and critical afterword, are informed by an astute editorial vision that is sure to inspire further productive research into Montgomery's creative methods. - Rita Bode, Department of English, Trent University