The House of Dreams is nicely “made”, with a pretty cover design. The latter is very illogical of course. Twenty-five year old Anne looks like a girl of seventeen. But it is all very dainty and will “catch the trade”. I do hope the book will be a success.
It would be humiliating to me if it failed to make good, for I would feel that [her publishers] would think they had been led into giving “big terms” to an author who could not “deliver the goods.” … Myself, I think the book is the best I have ever written not even excepting Green Gables or my own favorite “The Story Girl.” But will the dear public think so? The Canadian advance orders are 12,000 copies—a huge advance on the numbers sold by Page, who never sold more than 3,000 and very seldom more than one or two.
The scene of the story is laid mainly at “Four Winds Harbor” –New London harbor was in my mind, though I altered the geography to suit my requirements. “Captain Jim” is a pet creation of mine. He had his first incarnation several years ago in a short story of mine published under the title “The Life Book of Captain Jesse.” Some of the stories he tells were ones I used to hear Grandfather tell many years ago—especially the one about Father Chiniquy.
~ L.M. Montgomery, July 21, 1917
The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, Vol. II, 1910-1921
Photo: Original Cover Design of Anne's House of Dreams.
