Jessamine by L.M. Montgomery — A Gentle Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime
Drift off to sleep with Jessamine by L.M. Montgomery, a sweet and heart-warming country romance from the author of Anne of Green Gables, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.
Jessamine Stacy was born and raised in the country, among vine-covered porches, maple trees and great green fields. But when her sister dies and the old home has to go, she must move to the city to live with her brother and his stylish wife, where she quietly becomes the maid of all work in a hot, stifling little kitchen. All winter she grows thinner and paler, and by summer her homesickness is almost unbearable.
Then one morning the vegetable man knocks at the side door, and it isn't the usual one. Old Mr. Bell has broken his leg, and his nephew Drew, tall, sunburned and kind, has taken over the rounds, with a spray of honeysuckle pinned to his coat. One flower leads to another: prairie roses, ferns, old-fashioned garden blooms. Then comes a drive through the cool, quiet beech woods to Cloverside Farm at Pine Pastures, an afternoon among clover fields, Jersey calves and a country supper, and a moonlit ride home that changes everything.
This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Montgomery's soft, sunlit country scenery, a gentle happy ending and Martin's calm, unhurried narration make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.
If you enjoy L.M. Montgomery, you'll find more of her short stories on Books at Bedtime, including A Redeeming Sacrifice and Uncle Richard's New Year's Dinner, both from the same collection.
Jessamine was first published in 1909 and is collected in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909 to 1922. L.M. Montgomery (1874–1942) and this story are in the public domain.
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Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.
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