Reading List: The Blue Castle
The Hueman Collective Reading List
Every other month, a staff member from Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers selects a book for our reading list. This month’s selection is “The Blue Castle,” by L. M. Montgomery, chosen by Angela Wilhite.
My favorite books are comfort reads. They’re like the mashed potatoes of literature–reliable and satisfying, especially in times of trouble. The comfort read I love best is “The Blue Castle” by L. M. Montgomery. When I’m feeling down or overwhelmed, this is the book I return to again and again.
“The Blue Castle” is darker than L. M. Montgomery’s well-known and beloved “Anne of Green Gables” series, but like the Anne series, it’s filled with true-to-life characters and beautiful descriptions of nature. Its heroine, Valancy Stirling, has tried to do everything right all 29 years of her life and has only ended up deeply unhappy. To deal with her overbearing mother and opinionated extended family, Valancy retreats to her imaginary Blue Castle where her life is like a fairy tale. That all changes when she receives a frightening diagnosis. Faced with dying, Valancy decides to live life fully–even if that means upsetting her family–and she gets a chance at her own real-life fairy tale.
Life is uncertain at the moment, but I still believe all of us have a Blue Castle within us. And as long as there are books that make us feel warm and loved, we’re going to be alright.
—Angela Wilhite
You can purchase “The Blue Castle,” by L. M. Montgomery at Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers: 149 E. Magnolia Ave Auburn, AL 36801. You can also support AOCB by purchasing this title and others online at bookshop.org/shop/auburnoilbooksellers.
Read our Feature, “New Pages Of An Old Story,” to learn about AOCB’s deep roots in the community and their inspiration for opening an independent bookstore in downtown Auburn.
