Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth - are four "little women", enduring hardships and enjoying adventures in Civil War New England. The charming story of the March sisters, "Little Women" has been adored by generations. Readers have rooted for Laurie in his pursuit of Jo's hand, cried over little Beth's death, and dreamed of traveling through Europe with old Aunt March and Amy. Future writers have found inspiration in Jo's devotion to her writing. In this simple, enthralling tale, both parts of which are included here, Louisa May Alcott has created four of American literature's most beloved women (From Chapters Online)
March
As the North reels under a series of unexpected defeats during the dark first year of the war, one man leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. Riveting and elegant as it is meticulously researched, "March is an extraordinary novel woven out of the lore of American history. From Louisa May Alcott''s beloved classic "Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has taken the character of the absent father, March, who has gone off to war, leaving his wife and daughters to make do in mean times. In her telling, "March emerges as an idealistic chaplain in the little known backwaters of a war that will test his faith in himself and in the Union cause as he learns that his side, too, is capable of acts of barbarism and racism. As he recovers from a near mortal illness, he must reassemble his shattered mind and body and find a way to reconnect with a wife and daughters who have no idea of the ordeals he has been through. Spanning the vibrant intellectual world of Concord and the sensuous antebellum South, "March adds adult resonance to Alcott''s optimistic children''s tale to portray the moral complexity of war, and a marriage tested by the demands of extreme idealism--and by a dangerous and illicit attraction. (From Chapters Online)
Book Club Discussion Notes
Our book club loved March, but prefer the 1994 movie version of Little Women to the actual novel. We found March to have a complex, compelling narration that was enriched with extremely interesting historical content. Some of our members read March before Little Women and found that it provided a new perspective to Little Women. So we would recommend to anyone to read March first. Also March is not a child/teen book, it is an adult book that any adult would enjoy. We strongly recommend this book.
Rating = Little Women - 2.5 Irises March - 5 Irises
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February 27 - The Great Gatsby (F.Scott Fitzgerald)
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