Review: Ana of California by Andi Teran

Ana Cortez has been in the foster system for nearly a decade, moving in and out of foster homes on a regular basis. She's lost her last chance at her last foster home and should be sent to a group home, but her social worker, the closest person in her life, offers her another option.  Ana must leave her life in Los Angeles and enroll in a farm trainee program in Northern California.

While Ana doesn't object to hard work, she's never known anything but city life. When she sets foot on Garber farm, it's like she's been transported to a different world completely.  Yet, with emancipation in the not-so-distant future, Ana will do whatever it takes to avoid another group home.

Garber farm is owned by Emmett and his sister Abbie.  Abbie believes Ana will be the perfect addition to the farm, but Emmett believes otherwise. Ana's lack of experience in working a farm could be more of a hindrance than a help. The farm, like Ana, is struggling to gain footage in a hectic and crazy world. Will Ana survive this most recent challenge? Will the farm?

Marketed as a modern day retelling of Anne of Green Gables,  Ana of California is a wholly rewarding, inspiring, and captivating read. Don’t let it’s comparison to a classic great dissuade you from reading it.  This is a novel that can genuinely stand on its own!

Ana has had a difficult life. Her parents, and beloved grandmother, were brutally murdered in a gang-related killing. She’s had her fair share of struggles through the years.  Her issues with her many foster parents are largely tied to her strong will and desire to protect those weaker than she.

Her move to California farm country is a shock, yet she takes it with stride. There, she becomes fast friends with Rye, a wonderfully unique and eccentric young woman. As a lesbian, her differences are a point of contention in such a small town. Her connection to Ana is quick, two “outsiders” struggling for acceptance.

A true coming of age story, Ana is forced to not only face the loss of her family but contend with her own identity. She struggles with being an outsider,  a young Latina woman thrust into small-town life. Assumptions are made due to her heritage, adding to the difficulties she’s facing in leading a “normal” teenage life.  The author does an exceptional job at crafting a sympathetic character who, despite her attitude objection to rules and order, one can’t help but root for. She’s been dealt difficult cards in life, her behavior completely understanding based on the life she’s been forced to lead.

I quickly became invested in Ana and her future. While we’re given a bit of information about her past, I would have loved to have learned more about her.  As the novel ended, I felt I had lost all contact with a great friend and I found myself wanting to know more about her past, present and future.

While there is a love story (of course), it doesn’t weigh over the intended message of the novel: self-discovery, growth and, in a sense, closure.  Guaranteed to delight readers of all ages, this novel is the perfect addition to your summer reading. Highly, highly recommended.