Anne of Manhattan

In this modern-day retelling of Anne of Green Gables, Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe meet again, for the first time since high school, as they both begin their final year of grad school at Redmond College in Manhattan. Anne has been attending school in the city since her undergrad years; Gil has transferred from California to be closer to his father, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Fans of L. M. Montgomery’s 1908 novel will be pleasantly surprised to see familiar characters, locations, and phrases show up here, in new ways. Diana is Black and bisexual, Marilla and Rachel are in a relationship, Matthew is alive and runs a vineyard with Marilla, and Fred is an edgy tattoo artist. Anne and Gil move quickly from adversarial banter to a romantic relationship with a little heat. The inevitable snag that derails them doesn’t last long, and readers are rewarded with a satisfying HEA. Carly Robins gives just the right tone to Anne’s snippiness and exasperation at Gil’s shenanigans, and to the rest of their dialogue and the supporting characters.