Anne of Green Gables, Reimagined for a Post-COVID World with Virginia Kantra

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.Some books don’t just retell a classic — they hold your hand through a hard season. In this episode, I’m joined by Virginia Kantra to talk about Anne of a Different Island, a modern homage to Anne of Green Gables set in the shadow of COVID, nostalgia, and finding your way forward when life doesn’t follow the script.We talk about why Anne Shirley still resonates more than a century later, how stories help us process collective trauma, and why comfort reads matter — especially for readers who came of age during the pandemic. This conversation is about resilience, imagination, chosen paths, and the quiet power of books to make us feel seen.📚 Books Mentioned Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra — Contemporary women’s fiction | Romance elementsHow to Read a Book by Monica Wood — Literary fiction | Found familyFar and Away by Amy Poeppel — Contemporary women’s fictionThe Last Letter from Rachel Allworth by Barbara O’Neal — Emotional women’s fictionHow Simi Got Her Groove Back by Sonali Dev — Contemporary romance⏱️ Episode Timestamps[00:00] Welcome + Virginia Kantra’s writing journey[04:00] Why Anne of Green Gables still matters[08:30] Why Anne of a Different Island is set on Mackinac Island[16:45] Writing COVID into fiction — without retraumatizing readers[24:00] Healthy relationships vs. romanticized toxicity[33:00] Comfort reads, nostalgia, and emotional safety in books[41:00] Book recommendations for hard seasons[49:00] Classroom libraries, book bans, and why representation mattersJoin the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com)Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read NextSubscribe & leave a review!