Great or Nothing
A reimagining of Little Women set in 1942, when the United States is suddenly embroiled in the second World War, this story, told from each March sister's point of view, is one of grief, love, and self-discovery. In the fall of 1942, the United States is still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor. While the US starts sending troops to the front, the March family of Concord, Massachusetts grieves their own enormous loss: the death of their daughter, Beth. Under the strain of their grief, Beth's remaining sisters fracture, each going their own way with Jo nursing her wounds and building planes in Connecticut, Meg holding down the home front with Marmee, and Amy living a secret life as a Red Cross volunteer in London--the same city where one Mr. Theodore Laurence is stationed as an army pilot. Each March sister's point of view is written by a separate author, three in prose and Beth's in verse, still holding the family together from beyond the grave. Woven together, these threads tell a story of finding one's way in a world undergoing catastrophic change.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
I grew up loving Little Women and I've really enjoyed SOME retellings (eg [b:So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix 55780561 So Many Beginnings A Little Women Remix Bethany C. Morrow https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609958105l/55780561.SY75.jpg 80152143] but not all of them (idk some contemporary one that made Jo a chef or something?) Anyway I'm putting this one in the LOVED category. Also my library's catalog as well as GoodReads listed this as by Joy McCullough (whose writing I love) but I didn't realize until I got to the end that it's actually a collaborative effort between 4 different writers, each doing one different March sister. (Beth = McCullough, Amy = Caroline Tung Richmond, Jo = Tess Sharpe, Meg = Jessica Spotswood) Really cool idea IMO–the book flowed together perfectly but each sister's voice was distinct and I loved these takes for all of them. Of COURSE Jo is my fav sister so I liked her parts the best (but really her as a queer WWII factory worker?? what's not to love) but Beth's verses were gorgeously devastating, and Amy and Meg had fresh takes too. I appreciated the way the book incorporated the March girls' strong sense of justice processing the Japanese internment camps too. Just–great.
