My modern Daddy Long Legs retelling

October 22, 2024 | General

The text says "Yours, for now: my modern Daddy Long Legs retelling". Next to it, there's a cartoon drawing of a couple: a tall, thin man and a shorter curvy woman, both with light skin and brown hair, holding pen and paper.

A couple of years ago, I started planning what would become the Cozy Latine Billionaires Series. One of the first decisions I made was to write a modern Daddy Long Legs retelling. In fact, this idea was a primary reason why the leads in the series are billionaires.

Yours, For Good is the last book in the series, and one that has been cooking in my mind for decades. Incredibly difficult to write, too! So let me tell you about the ways in which Jean Webster’s story inspired mine.

A sweet little book

All throughout my school years back in Chile, we routinely read books assigned by the teacher. Every term, we were tested on our understanding and memory of a novel. That’s how I discovered Daddy Long Legs.

The book tells the story of Jerusha (Judy) Abbott and Jervis Pendleton. Judy is an orphan and Jervis her benefactor, who decides to send Judy to college to get a writing degree. Told almost exclusively through letters, the story shows them falling in love while she completes her studies. It was one of the few books I owned, and I re-read it almost every year.

It’s such a cute story. Judy is hilarious, curious, and has a wonderful joi de vivre. Jervis is a bit of a mystery, as the original story has the limitations of the epistolary medium and Judy’s single POV. Additionally, it has quite the progressive slant, despite its age. It includes a social awareness that has stayed with me through the years. Just like Judy’s happily ever after did.

A modern Daddy Long Legs retelling?

Many adaptations have been made of Daddy Long Legs. From anime to a classic Hollywood movie, my favorite is the two-person off-Broadway show with Megan McGinnis and Adam Halpin/Paul Alexander Nolan. I listen to the soundtrack often!

Despite my love for the original story, I recognize its problems. In many ways, Daddy Long Legs is a book that belongs to 1912. Not only is the heroine told what she’ll study, but gender roles are held within patriarchal assumptions. To name one example, a big conflict point comes from Jervis’ expectation that Judy should do as told because she’s a woman and she should listen to older and wiser men.

Of course, she rebels. It’s one of my favorite parts of the book: Judy’s independent spirit. Still, the power dynamics between the main characters aren’t explored. Additionally, when the reveal happens, Judy takes it in stride and it’s decided they will marry.

If you enjoy stories with those dynamics, please read Daddy Long Legs! You might find a new favorite. But I’m not the kind of writer who pens this type of stories. I am the kind of author who takes a beloved book and asks, what would this story be like set in modern times? How might I write such a romance?

Mixing favorites

Fortunately, Daddy Long Legs is in the public domain worldwide. This means that I can take Jean Webster’s original and truly use it as a canvas to make it my own. Just like You’ve Got Mail was inspired by The Shop Around The Corner, and paid homage but didn’t create a carbon copy, I also took classic scenes and other Easter eggs to remind us of the inspiration. From names, to locations, to plot points, Yours, For Good brings the essence of Judy’s story with a new viewpoint.

But there is one major difference in my version. I took the opportunity to address a significant issue I have with Daddy Long Legs (and with You’ve Got Mail, for that matter). When Judy learns that Jervis was her benefactor all along, she appears to instantly forgive him. While I didn’t recognize this as a problem as a pre-teen, it doesn’t sit well with me now as an adult.

So I changed it. That plot point reads more like Kat’s reaction to learning about Patrick’s deceit in another favorite of mine, 10 Things I Hate About You. This change is purposeful; my heroines are driven and outspoken, and I don’t see any of them brushing away the hurt someone has caused them. But you’ll have to read to know exactly how this fight turns into a happily ever after…

Javier and Nora, my reimagined Judy and Jervis

This book is different from previous stories in the series. While I still aim to write characters who are trying to be good people, and who communicate through the challenges in life, Javier made a huge mistake. Despite his good intentions, he messed up. As a consequence, his story with Nora includes grovel like I haven’t written before.

Additionally, the story starts with letters and with an intention of friendship. These factors result in one of the slowest slow burns I’ve written to date! But if you’re anything like me, this only makes it sweeter when they finally get together.

Yours, For Good includes a tinge of suspense, lots of humor, and what may be one of the most relatable heroines I’ve written to date. There are cameos by everyone in the friend group, and my beta readers appeared to agree this book was a satisfying farewell to the series.

I sincerely hope that Javier and Nora will pull at your heartstrings the same way they pulled at mine. If I did the story justice, then I’m sure it will. It’s the end of an era, after all; my next series will be less of a slow burn and potentially more light-hearted (but with as much romantic tension as I can imbue in them). Let’s give these book friends a sweet farewell together… for now.