Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, and Jessica Spotswood
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5 Star Rating
The Summary:
A reimagining of Little Women set in the spring of 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 spring of 1942, the United States is 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 Boston, 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.
In the spring of 1942, the United States is 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 Boston, 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.
This was an incredibly inventive reimagining of Little Women that I absolutely enjoyed. With each of the March sisters being written by a different author, I initially feared that the story would seem a little disjointed as the POV changed from chapter to chapter, but it was a beautifully crafted collaboration. I especially loved how, while exploring some heavy topics that were never addressed in Louisa May Alcott’s original novel, sisters Meg, Beth, Jo, and Amy did not stray from their initial characterizations in the literary classic.
The only reason I give this book four rather than five stars has more to do with my personal preference. While the stories of Meg, Jo, and Amy were written in prose form, Beth’s added POV was written in verse. Inserted at the end of each chapter, I found myself skimming or skipping over them completely about halfway through the book. Not that they weren’t well written, I’m just rarely drawn to verse without rhyme. I realize some would consider that to be a fault on my part as a reader, but it doesn’t prevent me from highly recommending this book.
Thank you to the authors along with Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.
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