Member Reviews
Marjolein B, Reviewer
Ana Cortez is a fifteen year old orphan, who has had a very problematic childhood and grew up in foster families in Los Angeles. She has now blown her last chance at a foster family, and the threat of being sent to a group home looms over her. But then her caseworker has another idea. Unless Ana agrees to leave L.A. and be sent over to a farm trainee program in Northern California. Ana agrees to give it a try..
At the farm, she is welcomed at the house of Abbie and Emmet Garber, a brother and sister.Ana can’t tell a tomato plant from a blackberry bush, and Emmett Garber is skeptical that this slight city girl can be any help on his farm. His sister Abbie,
however, thinks Ana might be just what they need.
The first period with Abbie and Emmet, Ana feels on trial. She feels like she is failing and is doing everything wrong, and is watching out with what she does and says.
Ana comes to love Garber Farm, and even Emmett has to admit that her hard work is an asset. But when she inadvertently stirs up trouble in town, Ana is afraid she might have ruined her last chance at finding a place to belong.
Ana of California is a modern retelling of Anne of Green Gables.I must admit though that I never read the last one, so I could not compare. But oh, I did love the story of Ana of California! The characters are amazing. At first you think that Ana is nothing but trouble, but during the story you find out that that was mostly because of the bad circumstances she was in previously. Ana was very realistic, and you can only emphatize with her during the story and hope her life will be better at the farm. Abbie and Emmet where the most loveable foster family you can imagine. Emmet has his reservations about Ana the first period of the story, but slowly he get's to know Ana better and sees beyond her mistakes.Abbie was so sweet and nice. From produce on the farm, she makes bread and other delicious things which she delivers to people in the smalltown community, and Ana helps her out too sometimes. There is time for a little romance in the book to, but I think I won't go into detail here about that, because that would spoil the fun for people who hadn't read this book yet!
The plot flows nicely too. However some parts seemed to carry on and were a little too long but overall it was great.
Overall, Ana of California is a very entertaining summer novel. I think it's somewhere in the middle of fiction and YA fiction, as Ana is a teen and this book will certainly appeal to a YA audience. This is a book you won’t regret buying!
