For our final episode discussing Rilla of Ingleside, we invited our friend Dr. Emily Woster for a good old-fashioned geek out on everything we love about this book. Our conversation is all over the place in the best way – from the books that we think would be great companion reads to Rilla, to the folklore that influenced Walter’s prophetic visions, to deep dives on a few of our favorite scenes, to L.M. Montgomery’s wartime diaries. It’s a freewheeling and fun conversation you won’t want to miss!

You can find more of Emily Woster’s work at The Anne Manuscript for high quality scans of LMM’s original handwritten manuscript and notes.

The L.M. Montgomery Bookshelf where you can find scans of books from LMM’s library including some of her own notations in the books and Emily’s information and notes about history and context of these books! An amazing resource!

And you can follow Emily on bluesky for updates about her work.

Registration for the 2026 L.M. Montgomery Conference is now open so come join us there! Or register for a free virtual viewing of Megan Follows keynote address!

Inspired by:

Ragon is inspired by Rilla’s vanity and recommends the Tymo CurlPro Hair Curler and the Tymo Ring Hair Comb for easy, polished hair.

Kelly is inspired by the splurgy Theraplush hand cream for soft hands.

Emily is inspired by Storyworth for guided memory books.

You can support the pod by shopping through our Bookshop link for any books we’ve recommended!

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.

Susan Baker, the unsung heroine of Rilla of Ingleside, gets her due in today's episode. Dr. Kate Scarth of the University of Prince Edward Island and the L.M. Montgomery Institute joins Ragon and Kelly to chat about Ingleside's faithful, fearless housekeeper, and how Susan's domestic skills and homely philosophies support Rilla and the Blythes during The Great War. Kate also shares biographical information about Montgomery's own reactions to the war, and how those views came to life in this novel.

Want to hear more from our awesome guest, Kate Scarth? Her Audible book is The Life and Works of L.M. Montgomery , a great listen! Her book Romantic Suburbs comes out on April 21, 2026. You can find her on Instagram or at The L.M. Montgomery Institute. Registration for the 2026 L.M. Montgomery Conference is now open so come join us there!

Inspired by:

Kelly is inspired by the University of Guelph digital exhibit about life on the Canadian home front in the context of Rilla of Ingleside. There’s a great section about Susan specifically!

Ragon is inspired by her favorite recipe blog, Smitten Kitchen and her newest cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Keepers.

Kate is inspired by a recipe for Monkey Face Cookies and by the book Irish Chain by Barbara Haworth-Attard.

You can support the pod by shopping through our Bookshop link for any books we’ve recommended!

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.

Kelly and Ragon are diving into prophecy, patriotism, and porch-debate energy in Rilla of Ingleside. From Miss Oliver’s eerie dreams to Norman Douglas’s keyboard-warrior vibes, we unpack all the different ways the Glen justifies — and questions — the war. Is it fate? A moral necessity? A cosmic inevitability? As we start wrapping up our Rilla season, we zoom out to listen to the full chorus of opinions shaping wartime life at Ingleside.

Inspired by:

Kelly is inspired by Heated Rivalry! Whether you watch the show on HBO/Crave or read the book by Rachel Reid, enjoy some fun, romantic, spicy distraction. Kelly especially recommends the third book in the series, Tough Guy, for some Anne of Green Gables references!

Ragon is inspired by the game, Let's Hit Each Other With Fake Swords for some silly family fun.

You can support the pod by shopping through our Bookshop link for any books we’ve recommended!

If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media! Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.