So Isabel Anderson takes a lot of explaining but as briefly as is possible, she was this woman who wrote to Maud in the 1930’s, and Maud, believing because of the way she wrote, that Isabel was a young fan, wrote back. Thinking this ‘young girl’ very clever and talented, the two began to exchange regular letters. When Isabel invited her over to her house (she didn’t live far) for dinner, Maud went… and was surprised to discover that Isabel was actually a 34-35 (I can’t remember which) year old school teacher. After that dinner, things got really strange and uncomfortable for Maud. Isabel starting writing more increasingly often, calling Maud’s house phone, and sending her gifts. All in an attempt to see her again. Eventually Isabel’s intentions became clear (she wrote to Maud about loving her and wanting to “sleep with” her [to be fair, this did refer to the common practice then of girls sharing beds during extended visits]), and Maud sort of shifts in her journal entries between feeling enormous pity for Isabel and then conversely abhorring her, also thinking her a “pervert,” and a “lesbian.” (In truth, Isabel was probably bisexual btw. She ‘chased’ men too, married and unmarried alike.)
At this point there were a few ‘stages’ of Isabel’s infatuation to come, with Maud 1) trying her best to ‘help’ Isabel (who wrote to her saying she’d kill herself if she didn’t hear back from her etc.) and therefore visiting her (which Maud learned was a mistake – staying over at Isabel’s parents only earned more intense letters form her, saying things like: “I have derived some comfort from sleeping in the precise spot you occupied half hopeful that some of the dear warmth might still be found to linger. But I crave something tangible. I want to hold in my arms what is dearer than life to me—to lie “spoon fashion” all through a long long night— to cover your wee hands, your beautiful throat and every part of you with kisses. I’m just mad with love for you…”) and allowing her to likewise visit the MacDonald (Montgomery) home (under great pains to always arrange for someone else to be handy), and 2) trying different ways to free herself from Isabel’s affection (ignoring her, pleading with her to see sense, writing strongly worded letters telling her to stay away, as she only wanted to be friends). It was very stressful for Maud (who pictured a scandal if Isabel were to actually commit suicide and leave behind letters addressed to Maud or a note that said she was killing herself because Maud wouldn’t love her), and the whole ordeal was just… like yikes, it was really quite something. 😅
Regarding Katherine Brooke – who Anne alternates between feeling enormous pity for and abhorring, who is cited in Windy Willows as having “a deep throaty voice… almost a man’s voice…,” who doesn’t “want a lover, I hate men,” and who might be pretty if she made some effort (compared to Isabel who Maud also reflected wasn’t pretty, but still wasn’t any less attractive than women she knew to have caught husbands) – there is that line where Anne says, “Katherine Brooke, whether you know it or not, what you want is a good spanking” and thissss is what’s so oddly close in wording to one of Maud’s journaled sentiments on Isabel, where she said that she would like to give “Miss Isabel a good spanking.” At the end of Windy Willows, there’s this other wish-fulfillment kind of niggle, where Anne “helps” Katherine by inviting her to Green Gables, and Katherine undergoes a ‘corrective’ and miraculous spiritual transformation through the magic of homey Green Gables and family-oriented Avonlea. In this, Anne achieves what Maud wanted (Maud openly states the reason she entertained and invited Isabel around her home, in the company of her sons and husband and friends, was in hopes of being such a ‘help’), but ultimately could not with Isabel.
