An Island That Lives in the Heart

From time to time, readers ask if Tales at the Ville is inspired by Anne of Green Gables.

The short answer is yes—but not in the way people sometimes think.

Anne was a story I loved growing up, and still do. If I happen to see it on television, I’ll sit right down and watch. Not just because of the red hair or the scenery, but because of what the story stood for: following your heart, doing right by God, choosing kindness, and believing that a simple life—lived with love—matters deeply.

I grew up on an island in Newfoundland and Labrador. Island life shapes you in quiet ways. The ocean is never far. The land rolls gently toward the sea. People know your name, remember your family, and show up when it matters. Doors are often open. Care is real. Love is shown in everyday actions, not grand gestures.

And Prince Edward Island, like Newfoundland, is an island that holds memory in the land itself. Driving along Lucy Maud Montgomery Road, you can feel what Lucy Maud Montgomery understood so well—that small places can hold enormous hearts.

One of the things I’ve always loved most about Anne’s story is her devotion to writing. She loved words. She paid attention. And even after she married Gilbert Blythe, she stayed on the island and continued to honour her calling. She lived a life where love, faith, and purpose grew side by side—right where she was planted.

That part of the story has always mattered to me.

I carry that same island spirit with me: faith, imagination, and a belief in a love that is patient, studied, faithful, and kind. A love that chooses one another every day. A life that makes room for both commitment and calling.

Over the years, more than once, someone has said to me, “That makes sense—you’re from Newfoundland. People are so friendly there.”

And every time, my heart feels proud.

Because island life stays with you.

The island lives in your heart always.

Tales at the Ville is my way of passing that feeling on.

A place shaped by small places.

By kind hearts.

By open doors.

By the belief that everyone deserves to feel welcome.

If these stories feel familiar, gentle, or comforting—then you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.