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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I liked this so much more once the perspective shifted from Mr. March to Marmee's account. I had a very hard time with his character -- naive, idealistic, unable to see beyond his own strong convictions -- but Marmee's brief section is a powerful telling of what it's like to be a supportive, loving wife even when you are disagree with your husband and are angry at his decisions. I'm happy I stuck with the book long enough to get to read her perspective, as it opened my eyes even to what so many present-day military wives (and mothers) must be going through.
If you ever found yourself curious about what Mr. March was doing throughout Little Women’s 400 pages, this book answers those curiosities. It’s wildly different in tone and themes from Little Women, and much more adult in themes and content. It’s an interesting book, and a quick read, but I found the ending unsatisfying and Mr. March unlikeable.
I read Little Women only as a backdrop to this book. I enjoyed seeing March's change from complete certainty to a more accepting view of his and others' imperfections. What still felt unresolved was whether he and Marmee would extend this to one another or would continue in their misperceptions of one another. Although Marmee grew in her understanding of him, I don't know that March understood her, or had much desire to as he continued to focus on his own biography.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
This was the first Geraldine Brooks book I ever read, and I still love it. Mr. March is sometimes annoying for his overly idealistic, head-in-the-clouds view of the world - but I think that's intentional. He is saved again and again by people who are frustrated by his lack of realism and grit but appreciate his kind heart...including his wife, the character we know as Marmee in Little Women. I appreciate seeing the Jo-like side of her that we don't ever see in the original text.
A re-read for book club. I read this when it first came out, and was impressed by Brooks' attention to detail and her clear passion for the historical context of her story, as well as her love for the original Little Women and life of Alcott. An alternate version of the March family, told from the perspective of the father, who is missing for much of the original book. The Civil War aspects are handled deftly and with respect, and again the attention to detail is commendable. It is intriguing to me too that Brooks chose to write a retelling of a traditionally female focused story from the perspective of a male character, but she does it so well. It is interesting too that parts of both March and Little Women are based on Alcott's real life experience. Brooks has a knack for deeply investigating historical events and people, and writing with compassion and respect. Caleb's Crossing is similar in this way, and is also a recommended read. I will always read a Geraldine Brooks book, and am so glad that she is an Aussie, and such a successful and well respected one.
Loved the writing but didn't like the story as much.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Profoundly in awe of this powerful small book about the American Civil War, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Based on the imagined life of the mostly absent father in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, readers experience the American South and the ensuing war from the eyes of an 18-year-old youth through his years as a 39-year-old war chaplain.
Young March is idealistic. He initially warms to the people he meets in the pre-war South even while watching slaves labor, something he abhors. His ideals are shattered in stages as he witnesses gut-wrenching emotional and physical pain inflicted on others. It is here that readers learn how slaves were kept uneducated in order to deny access to information, and young whites were groomed to keep the system intact. The entire societal infrastructure, including churches, supported the slave system to March's dismay.
As a father and war chaplain, March experiences great personal conflict and witnesses terrible pain and destruction. He also sees that not all Northerners are kind and supportive of abolitionists, and not all Southerners are evil. It is politically and economically difficult to change a deeply entrenched system.
Among these huge issues, there lies a very personal one. March's wife, Marmee, deals with the war from her home where she watches their four daughters. Marmee is strong-minded, supporting the underground railroad and sending supplies to newly freed slaves. Their letters to one another hide a lot of truth that the two must reconcile as they reunite while at the brink of death.
This book helps readers see ethical, political, religious, societal, military, and family angles in a mere 280 pages. This is not about battle scenes, but rather the wrenching effects of war and how individuals respond differently, but very personally to troubling events. This novel lands squarely among my all-time favorite books. Highly recommend.
Young March is idealistic. He initially warms to the people he meets in the pre-war South even while watching slaves labor, something he abhors. His ideals are shattered in stages as he witnesses gut-wrenching emotional and physical pain inflicted on others. It is here that readers learn how slaves were kept uneducated in order to deny access to information, and young whites were groomed to keep the system intact. The entire societal infrastructure, including churches, supported the slave system to March's dismay.
As a father and war chaplain, March experiences great personal conflict and witnesses terrible pain and destruction. He also sees that not all Northerners are kind and supportive of abolitionists, and not all Southerners are evil. It is politically and economically difficult to change a deeply entrenched system.
Among these huge issues, there lies a very personal one. March's wife, Marmee, deals with the war from her home where she watches their four daughters. Marmee is strong-minded, supporting the underground railroad and sending supplies to newly freed slaves. Their letters to one another hide a lot of truth that the two must reconcile as they reunite while at the brink of death.
This book helps readers see ethical, political, religious, societal, military, and family angles in a mere 280 pages. This is not about battle scenes, but rather the wrenching effects of war and how individuals respond differently, but very personally to troubling events. This novel lands squarely among my all-time favorite books. Highly recommend.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad