Jennie A. L. Knies

The Blue Castle is one of my favorite comfort reads. Written in 1926, it tells the story of 29-year-old Valancy Stirling. When diagnosed with a terminal illness, she shocks her family by moving out of her mother’s house and embarking on new adventures. This includes asking the eccentric Barney Snaith to marry her. It’s a book about the courage to change and living without fear. Montgomery’s descriptions of the Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada, are breathtaking.