Published in 1911, The Story Girl is the Montgomery novel that feels most like a direct portrait of PEI itself — less plot-driven than Anne, more interested in the island landscape, the oral tradition, and the particular texture of rural life in the early 20th century. The story is narrated by a young boy visiting relatives in Carlisle, a fictionalized version of the Cavendish area, and held together by the remarkable Sara Stanley, whose gift is telling stories that make everything vivid and alive.
Montgomery considered it her personal favourite of her own books. It lacks the tidiness of Anne but has more atmosphere and a sharper sense of place. A good companion read after Anne for anyone who wants to understand the landscape more deeply.