Kindred Spirits: Children's Authors Reimagine 'Anne of Green Gables'

Fanciful and irrepressible heroine Anne Shirley has lived many lives across the page, stage, and screen since her first appearance in L.M. Montgomery’s 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables and its subsequent sequels. The young orphan has a passionate, sometimes histrionic, disposition with red hair to match (“my life long sorrow,” she calls it)—except when she accidentally dies it green. But Anne’s melodramatic turns and mishaps are part of what endear her to her adoptive family, the Cuthberts, and to readers throughout the generations.

Drawing from their own love of Anne, a number of contemporary children’s writers have transposed her larks on Canada’s Prince Edward Island in the fictional town of Avonlea to other locales, while paying homage to the heart of the original story: a celebration of childhood curiosity and imagination, female friendship, and found family. Recent remixes include a witchy fantasy, LGBTQ+ coming-of-age stories, an adventure set in Philadelphia, and several present-day graphic novel retellings. One adaptation on the distant horizon, coming in 2025, is a gender-bent YA graphic novel, Dan of Green Gables by Rey Terciero (also known at Rex Ogle), illustrated by Eisner Award nominee Claudia Aguirre, which stars a queer, half-Mexican teenager named Dan who is forced to live with his grandparents in rural Tennessee.

We spoke with the creators of four such new and soon-to-be-released retellings about their enduring affection for Anne, and reimagining her story for today’s young readers.

Heather Fawcett

The Grace of Wild Things. Balzer + Bray, Feb. 14, 2023 $17.99 ISBN 978-0-06-314262-6

Vancouver Island-based author Fawcett puts a fantastical spin on the adventures of Anne Shirley in this middle grade novel about a magically gifted orphan named Grace who flees to the woods, where she becomes the apprentice of a dangerous witch.

When did you first read Anne of Green Gables—were you a fan from childhood? Can you recall your first impressions?

I don’t remember precisely how old I was the first time I read it—likely somewhere between 10 and 12. I do, however, remember reading it again almost as soon as I finished, and several more times over my teen years. I felt a strong connection to Anne immediately as someone who also enjoyed making up stories about ordinary things. The haunted wood could have been the wood behind my school, where there was a hollow tree my friends and I were certain had a monster living inside it. My first impression was that it read like a fairy tale—there was a sense of the enchanted in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s descriptions, through Anne, of Prince Edward Island and Green Gables itself.

What drew you to put your own spin on this children’s classic, and how did you approach retelling it for contemporary readers? Were there any particular elements or themes that you were keen on exploring and expanding?

I’ve always wanted to retell Anne of Green Gables as fantasy, because I think the story lends itself well to that sort of thing, with Anne’s imagination adding supernatural flourishes to what is overall a fairly down-to-earth narrative about school and relationships and mishaps with baking and what not. Not only that, but I think it’s an approach that Anne herself would approve of. So it felt as if there was a natural affinity between the character who is the heart and soul of Montgomery’s book and a story about magic and witches and talking crows.

In a fantasy version, the story obviously couldn’t be retold faithfully, at the scene-by-scene level, so I aimed instead to preserve the heart of the story and the core architecture. Anne of Green Gables, to me, has always been first and foremost about the idea of home; it’s about an orphan girl who has never known what that is, not only because she’s an orphan but because she’s different. She finds a comfortable home in Green Gables, but more importantly, she finds her kindred spirits. So that’s the journey that I wanted to mirror in The Grace of Wild Things.

Why do you feel that Anne Shirley endures as a young heroine in readers’ imaginations?

I think that a lot of kids, particularly those who love books and stories, feel an automatic connection with a girl who sees stories everywhere. Also, Anne says out loud every thought that goes through her head, so that’s just fun to read, particularly if you’re an introverted child. But I think above all it’s because Anne feels everything that happens to her very deeply, which makes her very easy for children—and many adults!—to relate to. Because really, it can feel like the end of the world when you’re bullied at school or prevented from seeing your best friend, and what’s wrong with expressing that?

Kathleen Gros

Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of). Quill Tree, $22.99 Oct. 25 ISBN 978-0-06-305766-1

In this contemporary graphic novel retelling, Anne navigates a new foster home and school, and her relationship with friend-turned-crush Diana with unquenchable optimism. Gros, who lives in Vancouver, is also the creator of Jo, a 2020 graphic novel adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.

When did you first read Anne of Green Gables—were you a fan from childhood? Can you recall your first impressions?

It’s hard to remember when, exactly, because I’ve read it so many times. I think it must have been around grade three. Like so many other readers, I immediately fell in love with Anne Shirley, Diana, and the Cuthberts. Over the years, I’ve reread the book countless times—returning to the characters and the town of Avonlea always feels like greeting old friends.

Modern retellings are extremely fun to write! My approach is to try and hold on to the heart of the story—the themes, the feelings of the characters, and what resonated with me as a reader. At the same time, I try to find analogous ways to express those ideas that might feel more familiar to readers today.

In my retelling, I was particularly interested in further exploring Anne and Diana’s friendship. So many of the queer women I know saw their childhood crushes reflected in Anne and Diana’s relationship. I wanted to speak to those feelings and honor them with this adaptation. In creating this graphic novel, I was also thinking about the different ways we can live in community. In the original novel, Avonlea is a small town. In my version, the Cuthberts’ home is transformed into an apartment building.

Why do you feel that Anne Shirley endures as a young heroine in readers’ imaginations?

I think that everyone at some point in their lives, and especially in their childhood, feels misunderstood and like they don’t quite belong. Readers meet Anne and see that part of themselves reflected in her and it feels very powerful. Anne’s story is about mishaps and mistakes, but it’s also about deep friendships and finding your place in this world. Anne’s imperfections, her temper, and her desire to do the right thing—even if she often messes up—are what endear her to readers. Even 100 years later, who can’t relate to that?

Mariko Tamaki

Anne of Greenville. Hachette/de la Cruz, $18.99 Oct. 4 ISBN 978-1-368-07840-5

Tamaki’s modern spin imagines Anne as a half-Japanese, half-white, and “deliciously queer” teen adjusting to life in a small town. PW said of the YA novel, “Anne’s effervescent voice, overwhelming open-mindedness, and tenderly depicted struggle to create joy in a change-resistant town prove both a balm and a primer for how to live as one’s truest self.”

When did you first read Anne of Green Gables—were you a fan from childhood? Can you recall your first impressions?

I don’t actually remember the first time I read Anne of Green Gables. I am fairly certain my first exposure, like any good Canadian who was a kid in the ’80s, was the CBC series—which I adored. “What, an overly exuberant, slightly awkward, literary kid who likes ice cream? Tell me more!”

It wouldn’t have occurred to me to tackle a retelling if Melissa de la Cruz hadn’t contacted me. Then it just seemed like the best Canadian lit assignment ever. I wanted to lean mostly into the character of Anne, this kid who has such a clear vision of the value of their own whimsy.

Why do you feel that Anne Shirley endures as a young heroine in readers’ imaginations?

I think there is something really compelling about kids who are intensely and fiercely themselves. A book like Harriet the Spy has a similar power for that reason. There’s something courageous about being yourself against all odds—it’s a valuable and necessary thing.

Ivy Noelle Weir

Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables by Ivy Noelle Weir, illus. by Myisha Haynes. Little, Brown, Mar. $24.99 ISBN 978-0-316-45978-5

This is the third entry in Little, Brown’s Classic Graphic Remix series, recasting beloved novels in comics form. Previous entries were Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, a retelling of Little Women by Rey Terciero, illustrated by Bre Indigo, and The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Weir and artist Amber Padilla.

When did you first read Anne of Green Gables—were you a fan from childhood? Can you recall your first impressions?

I can’t recall when I first read it—I know I read it at some point as a kid, but I don’t remember feeling particularly strongly about it. My favorite stories as a young reader had some sort of magical and/or spooky element, and I think I liked-but-didn’t-love Anne as a result. However, I re-read it as an adult, and I found so much to love in Anne and her world.

I think the message of Anne’s story—about growing, learning, and remaining true to yourself throughout—is as relevant to young readers today as it was then. Approaching this adaptation, I wanted to bring those themes into the modern world and try to apply them to things young people still deal with today: friendships, family issues, school pressure, crushes. It sounds maybe a little lazy of me to say it was easy to bring Anne into the modern day, but it’s true! Anne and the things she experiences really are so timeless in many ways. One major change was moving the story from Canada to Philadelphia. Reading Montgomery’s original text, it was so obvious that she loved Prince Edward Island with her whole heart. Born and raised in the Philly area, I knew that in order to capture that sense of home, I needed to set it where I was from and channel some of my own love for the city into it.

Why do you feel that Anne Shirley endures as a young heroine in readers’ imaginations?

As I said, I think Anne’s story contains so many timeless elements about growing up. But beyond that, she’s such a distinct character. She’s quirky, positive, occasionally brash. She learns and grows in so many ways. I think kids reading the book for the first time now still see so much of how they probably feel in her—trying to figure out how to navigate the world when it throws changes at you and do it in a way that is authentic to yourself, at a moment in your life when you’re still trying to figure out who you are. I think that every adaptation and interpolation of Anne also brings different perspectives to her, which to me is the essence of an iconic character. She’s classic enough to persist, but inspiring in a way that invites authors, and readers, to interpret her differently and add their own flavor to her. I got so attached to our version of Anne and was a little heartbroken to leave her!

Myisha Haynes

When did you first read Anne of Green Gables—were you a fan from childhood? Can you recall your first impressions?

I was peripherally aware of Anne of Green Gables as a kid, but I gravitated more towards sci-fi and fantasy—and still do! I didn’t actually read the book until a few years ago, but I immediately took a liking to Anne: a spunky, well-read, imaginative, and opinionated girl. I could see my younger self wanting to be like her.

What drew you to illustrate Ivy’s graphic novel retelling? Were there any particular elements or themes that you wanted to foreground visually?

Ivy painted such a vivid picture of West Philly that even though I had never been there before, I could imagine the water ice store, the vine-covered alleys, the beautiful graffiti murals on the walls. West Philly felt like as much of a character as anyone else in the book, and I had fun trying to bring those elements to the book. Anne comes alive in West Philly, the art of the neighborhood feeding inspiration at every turn, fueling her already impressive imagination further.

Why do you feel that Anne Shirley endures as a young heroine in readers’ imaginations?

Anne is a force. In all the versions I’ve seen or read of her, she bounds from the page or screen full of personality and heart. Even as she tries to find how she fits into this new world with the Cuthberts, or when she’s unsure of herself or has setbacks, the core of her remains the same: compassionate, determined, creative. I think readers connect to Anne because that level of uncertainty when you’re growing up is familiar; determining your place in a family, a friend group, or a community can be scary, more so when you feel like a newcomer. No matter what the interpretation, Anne’s tenacity is aspirational and relatable. Readers can see themselves in Anne’s struggles and hardships, and take inspiration from how she navigates through them, while still being true to her core self.