Reviews

• Just ok

  I expected more, and probably would have liked it better had it not tried to be connected to Little Women. The moments, phrases directly lifted from that novel felt jarring in this one, taking me a bit out of the story. I did however find it easy to read and interesting to learn about aspects of the Civil War that were completely unfamiliar to me.

• Develops the story of Mr. March of Louisa May Alcott's book and his time during the Civil War

  Geraldine Brook’s novel fills in a side of the story that is absent from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. These are the experiences of Mr. March, the father of Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth, and Marmee’s husband, who was a peddler before the Civil War and a chaplain for the Union Army during the war. As a young man, before he met Marmee, March was a traveling salesman who spent time in the South. Because he was a book lover, he caught the attention of a plantation owner who shared the same interests and loved to discuss literature. He was invited to stay for a while in the man’s house. He became acquainted with the household members, including the enslaved people. One such girl was Grace, for whom he held a strong admiration. He met the children of the house workers and wanted to improve their lives by teaching them to read. In his idealism, he never saw how he set himself up against his benefactor. His actions forever altered the course of his life and brought suffering to Grace. Years later, after March married Marmee and became a chaplain, he was determined to help in a cause he firmly believed in. He and Marmee had provided a resting place on the Underground Railroad, but he wanted to do more. He left Marmee and his family to work in the Union Army, comforting the soldiers and the injured. He found himself stationed in Southern houses taken over by the Union. One day, he was sent to the very same Southern plantation where he had angered the owner years ago. He found Grace altered only in her circumstances, not in her inherent dignity and courage. I found this novel profoundly moving, with vivid depictions of the precarious lives of enslaved peoples and the injustices they suffered. The story is haunting and will linger with the reader long after finishing the book. The novel is a must-read for history lovers and historical fiction fans.

• A US Civil War tragedy

  Excellent read. Beautifully written historical fiction.

• The other side of Little Women

  Like the other book (Horse) I read by this former journalist/war correspondent author, in this narrative a historical event/period is experienced in a new and profound way through the personal experiences of a few of its heroic but hitherto unknown protagonists. Here the dramatic event is the American Civil War, portrayed with unspeakable cruelty and pervasive prejudice on both sides. Since it is written in the first person, both the style and the dialgue reported seem to be in keeping with the historical context and the cultural and social background of the characters. Quite a tour de force for the author, who by her own admission has immersed herself in personal letters and journals of the times. Aesthetically beautiful prose and gripping storytelling make it an instructive and satisfying read.

• Superb writing: harrowing narrative.

  Geraldine Brooks always writes wonderful prose and researches her subjects so thoroughly that the characters and situations she depicts seem astonishingly real. March, like all her works, is superbly crafted. Having said that, the reader should be aware that this book portrays scenes from a brutal war without tempering the horror in any way. If you want to fully appreciate this book you need to be prepared to witness many disturbing incidents. It’s very much worthwhile reading the afterwords to this book, to fully grasp its origins and structure. Very highly recommended.

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