Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Park Corner

It is raining in New London Harbour, Connecticut. Dark clouds hang heavy and low overhead, a veil of rain enshrouds the hills and fields, and the sea is lost in misty greyness. I’m travelling with my husband and in-laws; I want to show them the island I have grown to love. But the day is dreary, and the landscape around us is devoid of colour.
We continue on Route 20 toward French River and nearly miss the entrance to the Harbour Lights Housekeeping Cottages, where we’re staying for the weekend. Making our way up a narrow gravel drive, we stop to enquire at the reception, and are shown a small...