KINDRED SPIRIT

Andronik's able, occasionally repetitious life of Montgomery will satisfy fans of Anne Shirley and her other sturdy protagonists from scenic eastern Canadian. With emphasis on ``Maud's'' fight to become a writer despite being a woman, and to get into print despite ritualistic rejections, the biographer's mostly fluid work conjures up the very elements that have made Montgomery's books so popular: a precise summing of time and place; feisty characters; mild, reassuring adventures against windswept backdrops. Montgomery battled first her family—to be allowed an education; then her first publisher, an American firm said to have been underhanded; but she always emerged victorious. Readers will find real-life clues to her creations; they may even be confused, at times, as to which incidents are from Montgomery's life and which from Anne's. But no matter: both are vibrant, worthy heroines. Those kindred spirits who've pored over other works by or about this author will welcome this one, too. B&w photos; chapter notes; bibliography; index. (Biography. 10- 14)