Lucy Maud Montgomery, known as Maud, was born in 1874 on Prince Edward Island, Canada, where Anne of Green Gables is set. Maud's mother died when she was just a baby and so Maud was brought up by her strict grandparents. She became a teacher, and although she didn't enjoy it, it gave her lots of time to write. She had her first poem published at the age of 15, and went on to write hundreds of short stories, poems, and novels throughout her life. Anne of Green Gables was published in 1908 and was an immediate success. She died in 1942.