We are continuing our Rainbow Valley discussion and focusing on the Meredith children’s impulsive hijinks and the way the adults around them react, or don’t react, to their shenanigans. We take John Meredith to task, break down how the patriarchy has helped enable this situation and learn a little about what parentification is and why the Meredith kids are poster children for it!

Inspired by:

Kelly is inspired by Normal Women by Philippa Gregory.

Ragon is inspired by All The Rage by Darcy Lockman and Fair Play by Eve Rodsky.

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.

L.M. Montgomery scholar Maryam Khorasani joins us for a discussion of Rainbow Valley itself as both a physical place and a state of mind, drawing on our own childhood experiences and analyzing the characters' interactions with the natural world. We also discuss themes of childhood, imagination, friendship, and the transition to adulthood and are inspired by books with strong senses of place and third spaces.

Inspired by:

Ragon is inspired by A Kind Of Paradise by Amy Rebecca Tan and by The Whalebone Theater by Joanna Quinn.

Kelly is inspired by The Eyes And The Impossible by Dave Eggers.

Maryam is inspired by The Fall Of The House Of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe.

You can find our guest, Maryam Khorasani on instagram as Maryam9756 or through her email at ma.khorasani@ufl.edu

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.

In preparation for our Rainbow Valley mini-arc, we are recapping this lovely book on today’s episode. We’ll introduce you to the Blythe children’s new friends, the Meredith children and Mary Vance, and tell you all about their adventures and hijinks. We also touch on the historical context of the book, which is set in the years leading up to World War I, wonder where Shirley Blythe is in all this, and share some of our favorite easy recipes!

Inspired by:

Ragon is inspired by Smitten Kitchen's Pizza Beans for a comforting hearty meal.

Kelly is inspired by Crispy Gnocchi with Burst Tomatoes for an easy Italian dinner.

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.

Today’s episode features an interview with an extraordinary L.M. Montgomery scholar, Dr. Laura Robinson. We discuss Robinson's background, her favorite Montgomery books and characters, and her work with the L.M. Montgomery Institute. Then we dive deep into the untold stories of Anne of Ingleside – why this book feels a little darker, and the storytelling risks L.M. Montgomery was able to take in writing this book. You absolutely do not want to miss this fascinating conversation with a leading Montgomery expert!

We got a lot of wonderful resources from our conversation with Dr. Laura Robinson, if you’d like to check those out here!

L.M. Montgomery Institute is a wonderful hub for so many resources!

The Anne Manuscript lets you view a virtual copy of the original manuscript, and you can see all the edits, notes and annotations.

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies lets you read wonderful scholarship and other writings related to all of L.M. Montgomery’s books.

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.

Surprise! In honor of L.M. Montgomery’s 150 birthday, we are releasing a special bonus mini-episode today to share our tribute to Maud. Be sure to check out the other tributes over at the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies!

Links:

Find all the tributes to L.M. Montgomery here at the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies 150 Tributes

And Maud's Electronic Birthday Card

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.

Our discussion of Anne of Ingleside continues, focusing on Anne and the Blythe family as they relate to the Glen St. Mary community. We also chat about Anne revisiting old hobbies like writing and matchmaking, and her marriage to Gilbert. This book opens the door to conversations about class, women’s labor, and finding your place in the world.

Inspired by:

Kelly is inspired by the beautiful quilts of Gees Bend Quilts and matching prints from Souls Grown Deep.

Ragon is inspired by dancing the night away at the Broadway Rave with all the theater kids!

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.

Home and family is the topic of this episode! Ingleside is a symbol of a happy and loving home and today we are discussing the ways that Anne is creating that for her own children. We speculate about whether Anne is the original TradWife, chat about unwanted houseguests, and share the ways that we've made our houses our homes.

Inspired by:

Kelly is inspired by vintage shopping and estate sales to make your home unique!

Ragon is inspired by the Nolan Interior Magic Sofa Covers to keep her couch looking comfortable and inviting.

Kelly and Ragon recommend the Culture Study substack in the episode as well!

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.

We are kicking off Season Four with a recap of Anne of Ingleside! We'll walk you through the highlights of the sixth Anne book to set up our conversations in the next episodes. We also chat about Ragon's birthday and our favorite dog items.

Inspired by: We are inspired by our dogs this week!

Kelly is inspired by a dog water bowl that keeps her floors at least semi-dry, the dripless dog water bowl.

Ragon is inspired by the Tricky Treat Ball to keep her dog occupied!

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.