Short stories about orphans and children of unloving families from the author of Anne Of Green Gables.

A collection of nineteen stories of orphans.

In this heartwarming collection of nineteen short stories L.M. Montgomery returns to the enchanting shores of beautiful Prince Edward Island to tell about orphans much like Anne of Green Gables -- vulnerable, sensitive, and full of hope and courage. There's the lonely young girl on a quest for a real-life mother, a budding artist who dreams of fame and fortune, and old family quilt that unites two sisters with a long-lost relative, an ancient Egyptian doll that invokes an unusual spell for a little girl yearning for a special friend. L.M. Montgomery brings to life a magical place and a circle of characters who will long be treasured and remembered.

"Sixteen of Montgomery's best Christmas stories - with old traditions, family reunions, lots of presents, and plenty of good food - but emphasizing that human kindness will always be the soul of this holiday" Cf. Our choice, 1996-1997

The common thread among the 18 stories in Against the Odds is the way people can resourcefully overcome obstacles to realize their ambitions and dreams. The “odds” are varied in these skillfully written tales. An obstacle to one’s success or happiness may lie in one’s own character or the prejudice of someone else. A potential employer may cast a suspicious eye on an individual’s background. A guardian seems reluctant to sponsor any further education for his charge. Other characters here are looking as much for increased self-respect as financial reward or better training. Set in locales as varied as Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Prince Edward Island, the stories of Against the Odds are peopled with orphans, teachers, actors, struggling single-parent families, intransigent relatives. It’s a world, though distant from our own, where Montgomery’s characters have problems similar to ours, and their methods of solving them are not very different from what we would try.

Sixteen short stories, all set on Prince Edward Island, deal with the common theme of life by the sea.