From the publisher:
A woman learns to be the heroine of her own life in this heartfelt novel inspired by Anne of Green Gables by New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.
https://amzn.to/45wbAtm
She believed life could follow a plotline—until the story she was living unraveled.
Anne Gallagher has always lived by the book. Anne of Green Gables, that is. Growing up on Mackinac Island, she saw herself as her namesake: the same impulsive charm, the same wild imagination, even the same red hair (dyed, but still). She followed in Anne Shirley’s fictional footsteps, chasing dreams of teaching and writing, and falling for her very own storybook hero.
But when a string of real-life plot twists—a failing romance, a fight with the administration, and the sudden death of her beloved father—pulls her back to the island she once couldn’t wait to leave, Anne is forced to face a truth no story ever prepared her for. Sometimes, life doesn’t follow a script.
Back in the house she grew up in, Anne must confront her past and the people she left behind, including Joe Miller, the boy who once called her “The Pest.” It’s time to figure out what she wants and rewrite her story to create her own happy ending. Not the book version. The real one.
Kantra (The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale) returns with an updated retelling of Anne of Green Gables, set on picturesque Mackinac Island.
Anne Gallagher, a devoted teacher from Chicago, heads back to her childhood home after her father’s sudden death and a bitter dispute over her classroom library. Her boyfriend, a pediatric oncologist, accepts a residency in Atlanta and expects Anne to follow without question.
Reeling from professional betrayal and personal upheaval, Anne seeks refuge on Mackinac Island to regroup. Over the summer, she confronts old wounds with her emotionally distant mother, reconnects with her best friend Daanis, now a busy mom, and gets reacquainted with Joe, the childhood crush who once teased her relentlessly.
As Anne helps at her family’s candy store, she rediscovers the comfort of familiar places and rekindles long-lost connections. Joe becomes an unexpected source of support, and their relationship begins to evolve, hinting at something deeper. But Anne’s summer is anything but idyllic; it is a season of grief, reflection, and tough decisions about love, career, and where she truly belongs.
VERDICT This charming modernization of a classic is sure to suit readers who enjoy Kristan Higgins or Carly Fortune, and should have nostalgic appeal for Montgomery fans.
©Library Journal, 2026
1/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
ANNE OF A DIFFERENT ISLAND by Virginia Kantra. Berkley (January 20, 2026). ISBN: 978-0593816493. 368p.
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