The classic children’s novel Anne of Green Gables, about a spunky orphan, her foster parents, best friend Diana, and friend Gilbert, has been beloved by generations of readers. Three—yes, three!—adaptations this year have reimagined the story with a very queer Anne.
Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables (Bookshop, Amazon), by Ivy Noelle Weir, illustrated by Myisha Haynes (Little, Brown), is a graphic novel that reimagines Anne as a girl of color moving not to Prince Edward Island, Canada, as in the original, but to West Philadelphia. Her foster parents, siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, have only ever fostered elementary school boys before, however. Marilla in particular is a little hesitant about fostering eighth-grader Anne, but is soon won over by her optimistic, chatty nature. Despite her upbeat demeanor, though, Anne is sensitive about not being wanted and is scared of being sent back to a group home. She struggles to control her anger and to follow the rules when her creative mind is leading her in other directions.
When Marilla introduces her to a neighbor’s daughter, Diana, the two girls soon become close friends. Anne’s crush on Diana is strongly hinted at but not fully developed; she never tells Diana how she feels about her. As in the original, there’s also an annoying boy named Gilbert in their class. He and Anne butt heads at first, but eventually become friends, and must work together to win a robotics competition and possibly earn a scholarship to a STEM-focused high school.
While some of the scenes directly echo ones in the original, there are also fun updates such as Anne’s involvement with the robotics club and learning to code. Most importantly, Anne, the Cuthberts, and Diana are all people of color, offering representation in new ways to a new generation of readers.
Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort of) (Bookshop, Amazon), written and illustrated by Kathleen Gros (Quill Tree), is another graphic novel. In this one, 12-year-old Anne also lands at the home of siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert after numerous foster homes. They had been expecting to foster a younger child, and aren’t exactly excited to see young teen Anne, but make an effort to welcome her and are eventually won over.
Anne doesn’t think she’ll fit in, but soon becomes friends with Diana, a girl in the same apartment complex. Anne opens up to Diana about her fears of never being adopted and shares her precious sketches. There are some scenes that directly echo the original, such as Anne accidentally dying her hair green instead of black, but also some new twists, such as Anne’s participation in the school zine club.
Gilbert appears here, too—but again, he’s not the love interest. Instead, Anne finds her feelings deepening for Diana, and their blossoming relationship and eventual (and totally accepted) date at the school dance is sweet and perfect.
Gros sensitively depicts Anne’s fears about never finding a home and the anger she is prone to when she is scared or hurt. She shows the Cuthbert’s initial awkwardness around Anne evolving into a genuine effort to help her make friends, explore her talents, and take responsibility for her actions.
Anne and the Cuthberts are White; Diana reads as White or Asian. Other characters have a variety of racial/ethnic identities.
Anne of Greenville (Bookshop, Amazon), by Mariko Tamaki (Melissa de la Cruz Studio), is a prose adaptation for young adults. I don’t usually review YA books (or list them in my database), but I’d be remiss in not mentioning it here. It takes the most liberties with the original, giving Anne, who is Japanese American, two moms instead of foster parents. Anne still feels very much the outsider, though, since her family has just moved to the area and she’s a disco-loving, 70s-fashion-wearing free spirit in a conservative small town. She soon becomes best friends, however, with Berry (a play on “Diana Barry” from the original), and develops a crush on Gilly (a play on “Gilbert”). This evolves into a love triangle that Anne must sort out even as she is dealing with homophobia and harassment. Anne purists might not like the many changes Tamaki makes, but in and of itself, the story is hugely fun, with a unique first-person voice, believable character growth, and a sweet romance (though I won’t tell you who Anne ends up with).
The original novel has sold over 50 million copies in at least 36 languages, according to the New York Times. These three adaptations all offer proof of the story’s enduring appeal, even as they take it in welcome new directions.
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