Anne of Greenville

August 22, 2022
Tamaki (Cold) puts a modern spin on Anne of Green Gables in this finely detailed rendering of half-Japanese, half-white, and “deliciously queer” Anne Shirley, and her new life in the “Ultimate Small Town.” Anne—whose dyed orange hair and sequined jumpsuits make her stand out in a crowd—has just moved to Greenville with her mothers: portrait photographer Millie and Lucy, the new vice principal at Greenville High. Though Anne is not initially well-received—she announces her presence to the town square by hanging tiny papier-mâché disco balls on lampposts and performing on orange leather roller skates to “Funkytown”—she makes fast friends with warmhearted, “moss and fluorescent and forest and pine green”–haired Berry. Together, the duo contend with racist and homophobic classmates, but things get complicated when Anne crushes on Gilly, a tall blond girl whose friend group is responsible for Anne’s mistreatment. Though secondary characters—particularly the bullies—feel rote, 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. Most characters read as white. Ages 14–up.