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I first read the book Little Women about two years ago. (Insert gasps of shock and disbelief - I know!) I had seen multiple versions of the movie when I was younger, but I never got around to reading the actual text until recently. The movie, of course made me a little angry. Maybe I was just refusing to see how any girl in her right mind would refuse a proposal from a pre-Batman Christian Bale, but I really wanted Jo and Laurie to be together. I wanted them to have a happily ever after and the Laurie/Amy and Jo/Professor pairings just didn't work for me.
McNees sets her book in 1855 a year from which no journal entries or letters of the author Louisa May Alcott exist. A fictional version of Louisa is the protagonist of the story and with her parents and three sisters, she is also the reflection of her character Jo March. Similarly, a young boy Joseph Singer is fabricated into the tale and in McNees's imagination he is the boy who inspires the character Laurie.
This novel was a really interesting, albeit fictional, look at the life of Louisa May Alcott. The historical setting and facts from Alcott's life were smoothly blended with the story in a way that had me checking the afterword carefully to determine fact from fiction. For readers who enjoy a little game of "what if", this is an interesting and enjoyable book.
January 6, 2011 at 8:48 AM
This does sound interesting, and I'm a sucker for books like this. I read Little Women and Good Wives when I was younger and was very upset that Jo didn't end up with Laurie. I think Alcott just wanted to surprise her readers a little bit.
January 6, 2011 at 9:15 AM
Little Women was a fave of both me and my co-blogger DeLynne when we were kids-- we even wrote a little play from the book to read at a speech/drama tournament.
the coupling in the book never bothered me-- but I'm odd, I suppose.
I've heard of this book and meant to read it sometime but I have a similar Jane Austen one already in my house that I need to get to first.
Lisa: thanks for commenting on my blogiversary post. Did you want to enter the giveaway? If so, let me know. I sure want to include your entry if you meant to enter.
:o)
January 6, 2011 at 9:42 AM
Hi Lisa. I enjoyed your review of The Lost Summer. It's been years since I read LITTLE WOMEN. Now I'm tempted to read it again and THEN read THE LOST SUMMER. You're doing a great service here, for author and reader alike. Thanks.
January 6, 2011 at 11:50 AM
I've tried a few times and have never been able to get "into" Little Women. I know, I know, practically un-American of me...
January 6, 2011 at 8:58 PM
I love Alcott. I haven't read this one. I loved Little Women, Little Men and Jo's Boys. I also have The Inheritance which if I remember is her first novel written, but I haven't got into it the several times I tried to read it.
January 7, 2011 at 4:45 PM
Hey thank you for visiting and the kind words about the ReCOVERy Friday meme. I loved it a lot myself, but there were always so few comments and participants that I had to quit it sometime. Now I've got a "Cover of the Week" section on my sidebar and post a cover comparison between US/German and another country each Thurday:)
I really like your blog, I need to comment more often!
January 10, 2011 at 9:05 PM
I'd never heard of this before. Margaret is right, you're doing a great real service for us readers!
This book sounds like an interesting concept. I have to confess, I've never read _Little Women_ before, so I'd have to read that one first.
January 11, 2011 at 12:54 AM
This sounds like a really fun and interesting read! Awesome review -- I'll have to check this one out!
January 12, 2011 at 7:04 PM
Loved this book, I read it last spring. I only wish it were true. It's an impressive effort for a new author and it's doing well enough to be put out in paperback this coming May. Kudos to Kelly McNees!
I love all things Alcott and blog on her regularly if you'd like to learn more. We have a fun and lively community, come on over - http://louisamayalcottismypassion.wordpress.com/