When I first saw an advertisement for this book, I could barely contain my excitement. Thankfully, Bethany C. Morrow did not disappoint. So Many Beginnings is such a wonderful retelling of Little Women. Starting in 1863, the March family finds themselves in the new Freemen's Colony of Roanoke Island. The familiar March sisters are trying to build a life as free people while the Civil War continues to rage around them. Mr. March has left his little women behind while he first goes to visit another freemen's colony and then off to join the fighting. Meg is teaching at a missionary school, Jo is building houses, Beth is a seamstress, and Amy wishes to become a dancer. Each of the sisters have ambitions beyond their current occupations and each takes steps to make her dreams into reality. I really appreciate the obvious detailed research Morrow undertook in order to accurately depict the freemen's colony and the challenges it presented both during and after the Civil War. Morrow's beautiful retelling would make Louisa May Alcott proud!

I thought this was great! I, shamefully, had no idea about the Roanoke colony and now I want to know so much more! The heart of Alcott's book is still there, a close knit family with young women who want different things out of their futures. It was a really nice read.

A remix of Little Women? I’m here, I’m ready, give it to me. I am obsessed with Little Women and all things Louisa May Alcott, and I’m not one of those purists who hates Jo/Laurie fanfiction. I’m pretty much all for showing the impact of this lovely sisterhood tale to as many people as possible. So, if you’re here to complain about this author, Bethany Morrow, making the March sisters Black, you can get the heck outta here.

I was really excited to get an ARC of So Many Beginnings this spring!

This is a historical remix of Little Women, rather than a contemporary adaptation, and honestly, I think that’s a huge selling point for it! It interrogates the original source material and historical context in new ways while still capturing the beauty of the original story.
The March sisters are the ones you know and l
ove–Jo, the writer, Meg, the teacher and wannabe wife, Beth the quiet one, and Amy the creative one. It is the Civil War–1860s–and the Marches, including Mammy, live in Roanoke, a Freedpeople’s colony. The March sisters were formerly enslaved, which provides a really interesting tone to the story and impacts the narrative in ways that I think enrich the historical context of the original story as well. There’s the usual sisterly banter, the character of Lorie, a love interest for Meg, and impending concerns about the end of the war and what it will mean for the Roanoke colony of North Carolina.

I really enjoyed this retelling–I gave it four stars. I think the “remix’ of it works well–it also doesn’t follow the structural bones of the original EXACTLY, but it kind of illuminates it in ways. I really recommend you read this one–I learned a lot about freedpeople’s colonies, ad the 1860s in general, through this, and I think that’s a benefit of this compared to the original. It’s enriching.

Im not sure why this wasn’t a 5 star read for me–it reads very “classical” but somehow lacks something. I can’t tell you what. Oomph, is that a thing? I dunno. I liked it, I did, but I wasn’t head over heels. But I’m so glad it’s out in the world and others can read it and learn from it! I might re-read it in a few months and see if maybe It was just my stress levels.

So Many Beginnings is on sale everywhere September 7, 2021.
Other “remixed classics” with pub dates on the calendar include remixes of Treasure Island and Robin Hood.

I'll go ahead and give this one billion star. I love Little Women - it's one of my favorite books - and this new retelling is full of the diversity, honesty, and real-world authenticity that the first one wasn't necessarily *lacking* (except diversity, that was totally non existent) but wasn't rich with either. I loved this. Highly recommend.

Bethany C. Morrow has created a book that pays homage to "Little Women" and absolutely improves upon it. It is a book I can absolutely see pressing into my students' hands. I have already convinced one of the teachers at my school to use it in her classroom next year. This book is everything.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

As a Black woman whose favorite book growing up was Little Women, I was so excited about this book. I gave it my normal three chapters and as much as I wanted to, I just could not get into this. Possibly a good story, but I couldn’t help comparing it to the original.