First, a confession: I, like many women of my generation, grew up as an absolutely huge fan of the Anne of Green Gables novels and the television movies based on them. In middle and high school, I read the books over and over, watched the movies annually, and wrote Anne of Green Gables fan fiction before I even knew what fan fiction was. As you might imagine, then, my interest was immediately piqued when I heard that Andi Teran's debut novel was, in many ways, a modern-day retelling of the Anne of Green Gables story, featuring an Hispanic heroine and set amid the world of California agriculture.

Fifteen-year-old Ana Cortez has almost reached the end of the road. After the violent deaths of her parents and grandmother in East Los Angeles, she has spent nearly a decade bouncing from one terrible foster care situation to another. Now, she has one last chance or risk being sent back to a group home, which is her worst fear. This time, her case worker is sending her outside of the city and to a small agricultural town in northern California. She is being hired as an agricultural intern to work on the small family farm owned by Emmett Garber and his sister, Abbie.

"ANA OF CALIFORNIA does indeed use Anne of Green Gables as its jumping-off point, but it certainly stands on its own and can be appreciated by readers regardless of how well (if at all) they know the original novel on which it's based."

At first, Emmett is resistant to Ana's arrival. Her lack of experience and knowledge (she has never seen flat-leaf parsley or heard of kale), as well as the fact that she's not a boy, are two big strikes against her, in his opinion. But Abbie is Ana's champion, and Ana's good nature and ability to get along well with the other farm workers gradually help integrate her into the workplace, the family and the community. Along the way, she makes a "bosom friend" --- Rye, a vintage-wearing lesbian who can't wait to escape the small town --- and becomes increasingly intrigued by her next-door neighbor, Cole, despite the fact that both the Garbers and Rye warn her to stay away from him. Ana makes plenty of mistakes, encounters misunderstandings and outright discrimination, and demonstrates honesty and generosity --- just like her literary predecessor.

ANA OF CALIFORNIA does indeed use Anne of Green Gables as its jumping-off point, but it certainly stands on its own and can be appreciated by readers regardless of how well (if at all) they know the original novel on which it's based. Of course, those familiar with L. M. Montgomery's original will find plenty of small moments to enjoy in this version by an author who clearly knows her source material. Some may quibble with a few of Teran’s choices. One of Montgomery's most beloved characters, Matthew Cuthbert, for example, is distinctly less likable when transformed into Emmett Garber, and likewise, few romantic heroes (including Cole) could ever hold a candle to Gilbert Blythe.

Still, ANA OF CALIFORNIA is a delightful homage that does credit to the original and also can be enjoyed by teen and adult readers alike.