A telling of the March sisters. Those that weren’t the focal point of Little Women finally have a chance to have their stories told. Following Amy, Meg, and Beth you get insight into their lives, from their own POVs.

It was really an interesting novel. I regret to say that I haven’t read Little Women yet, though it’s one I plan to read in the near(ish) future. But even so, this one was easy to follow. Easy to jump into the characters’ stories, and each was unique.

It portrays the differences in struggles that even those from the same family face. A great reminder that even if you have a similar background, we all have our own paths in life, some of which we can’t always control.

Though parts of it were unexpected, considering the time period too, I thought it was interesting. It’s inspired me to check out Little Women now!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, received from @lizparkerwrites, @lindaepsteinauthor, @allymalinenko and @uplitreads . However, all thoughts and views reflected are strictly my own opinions.

The longer I think about «The Other March Sisters», the more conflicted I am about what I think about it.

I started enjoying it a lot. I loved seeing life through Amy, Meg and Beths’ points of view, since we didn’t get to do it in the original, Little Women. From Amy I liked knowing how restricted the world of art was for women. I liked seeing Laurie and her get closer, it was something I missed in Alcott’s novel, it felt so out of the blue when I first read it. From Meg, I enjoyed following her steps as she discovered that she’s more than a mother and a wife, that she can still develop her passions and focus on herself. I liked how the author explored the expectations on mothers and wives and how it shapes one’s perceptions. From Beth, I liked how the author touched topics as solitude, sickness, death, Good and Evil. Her love story was quite nice too, I really hoped that happened in the original.

And what was what I didn’t enjoy that much? It’s written from an actual point of view and it breaks the illusion we’re still inside Little Women. There are so many thoughts that people from that period of time wouldn’t have, even though we’d love to think that way. Of course, there were LGTBIQ+ people back then, of course there were people fighting for women’s rights and thinking they were as valid as men, but the way The Other March Sisters’ portray its characters, it just feels like they are more deconstructed and open than they were.

Also, the book paints Marmee like someone I don’t remember her being. And it’s nice to see characters explore their sexualities, but in this book was —for me— too much and too forced, especially on Laurie.

At the end of the book, the authors explained they took some creative licenses, and some got inspired but Alcott’s real sisters. I think there’s where my problem with the book was, they weren’t adding things to characters we alredy knew, but creating new ones that we didn’t fully recognize.

If you read Little Women a long ago, like I did, I think you can enjoy this book. But if you’re a fan who read it thousands of times, I’m not sure this story will be for you.

If you are a fan of "Little Women" this story is kind of same to that or you can say you can remember it about in your subconscious mind. It is basically a retelling. Three sisters who are struggling and figuring out what they want to do in their life. This book also has LGBTQIA+ representation. the writing was good at some times but was kind of overlapping which made it hard to figure out at some point.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the chance to read and review this book!

Little Women is one of the first books I remember reading independently, and I have revisited the story many times! While I loved the idea of focusing on the three sisters who were never the primary focus of the original work, I found what I missed the most was their shared interactions! Besides my love of the original work, I picked up this book because I have loved another novel by one of the authors.

I chose not to finish reading after finishing 30% of the story because I was a little uninterested. Perhaps leaving Jo out meant I missed her fire that created such magic between the group of sisters. I also had trouble finding a through line, it felt like reading many short stories that didn't fit together or present a central conflict. I think this is a great story for someone who often reads and appreciates historical fiction, but it is not a genre I read often, and had trouble getting into the book.

I always love a retelling, especially of my favorite stories like Little Women! I like the twists this one took, and I look forward to more from these authors!

I've never read Little Women, only seen the movies, so I enjoyed this more than I think people who have read the original will. I love the focus on the other March Sisters and that literally Jo is not in at all, even through letters. It really helped center the other sisters. I enjoy that with each sister we got a different side of them. Amy has always been my favorite sister so I loved seeing a more mature side of her in this book, exploring Europe and art, I loved her and Laurie and how the Jo incident was talked about. Meg finds herself raising twins in a life she never imagined for herself, so she finds comfort in her garden and a way to make money of her own. I really liked her story but I was sad that she married John out of spite and not love, that just seemed to far removed from the original, but it was beautiful seeing their love bloom. Beth's was perhaps my favorite store to read though because you really see her deal with her anger over getting sick and being the one stuck at home while all her sisters go off and live their lives. She a very sweet romance with a woman that I just adored! The one thing that bugged me though was how Marmee was handled, she really seems quite villainous, especially in Meg's story and that was just wayyy too hard for me to believe. I think it would've been great to see the sisters have issues with Marmee and how they were raised or treated but within the bounds of what her character was. I felt as though she was an unflattering caricature of her original self.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. From beginning to end, the flow of the story kept me engaged, and the writing style quickly became one of my favorites. The author's ability to weave words together so effortlessly made the experience even more enjoyable. What stood out most to me was the unique and intriguing concept behind the story. It felt fresh, creative, and thought-provoking, drawing me deeper into the world the author created. I found myself completely immersed in the plot and invested in the characters. Overall, it was a captivating read that left a lasting impression, and I look forward to reading more works from this author in the future.

The March sisters are back, and this time, they are telling their own stories. With Jo away in New York, Meg, Beth, and Amy are carving their own paths. Meg finds her calling after feeling unfilled as a wife and mother. Beth longs for life outside of her bedroom. Her time is limited, but she makes a connection that brightens her life. Amy feels the pressure to marry and to marry well, but art is her true heart’s pursuit, and she has some decisions to make while stuying in Paris.

Jo is mentioned, but she told her story, and the authors give the other sisters their turn in this book.

I love retellings/continuations of beloved stories, and I think the authors did a great job further developing these characters and doing deep dives on women’s hearts, minds, and story arcs. Thoroughly enjoyed this read.

This was a lovely extension to the story and characters we are introduced to in Little Women. I enjoyed getting a deeper look into the lives of the other March sisters and having each of them have their own stories, hobbies, talents, relationships and problems. Having the world of little women tackle themes of racism, abortion, and LGBTQ+ was refreshing and fit well into the confines of the original story line. Having three different authors did lead to the book feeling a bit disjointed and there was some repetition in the writing that had me skimming the last bit of the book. I found Amy's parts to be the most tiring to get through which is maybe due to the fact that we are readers are more familiar with her story. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

The Other March sisters was an interesting retelling of Little Women. I highly enjoyed hearing more from Meg and Beth, but honestly could have done without reading Amy's story. She was always my least favorite character, and I did not feel this particular book added any more depth to her. The adding of LGBTQ+ characters is not an issue for me, and I do not feel that it in any way disrespects the original story. I often wonder what things might have been written about in earlier times had it been more socially acceptable.

With Thanks to the authors, Net galley and Kensington Publishers for the opportunity to read this eArc.

Little Women is a book of my childhood, my introduction to the ‘classics’ and a fond reread over the last 30 or so years.
Finding this continuation, a reinterpretation of the lives of the other March sisters who often sat in the periphery of Jo’s existence and experience, was as exciting as one can imagine.

Starting the book, I was a little thrown off by some of the plot lines and changes in some of the girls’ personalities but soon found the book intriguing and hard to put down. Anyone who has read and loved Little Woman over the years will know, it is hard to step away from the warm embrace of the March family, no matter who has written it!

Some intriguing moments of Amy’s vulnerability, Meg’s discovery of self and service and Beth’s own quiet power coming to the forefront. The writing felt more modern and there were some points that were repeated, which at times became annoying.

Did it feel a little jarring compared to the original, yes. Did it seem plausible that these were the pathways for the girls, no and also yes. Was it that our own view of the story dripped in nostalgia, our own perspectives and experiences made it a little hard to reconcile between the old and new – yes. Readers need to know that author who wrote Beth’s part, was quite inspired by the original author’s (Louise May Alcott) sister, not the written Beth we cherish from Little Women.

I think that if you do love the sisters, this will be an interesting read regardless of your love or hate for it. just like a movie made from a book that doesn’t get it quite right, you know you’ll keep watching it if only to keep living in that universe.

I loved the original Little Women, so I was really excited to read this. I was also intrigued by the trio of authors. I liked that it was separated into four parts, each belonging to one sister, and I felt that the authors did each character justice. Overall, this was a solid read!

Absolutely enjoyed this captivating reimagining of the March family ! It provides a fresh and heartfelt perspective that beautifully complements Alcott's beloved classic.

I particularly appreciated the inclusion of letters throughout the narrative, which added rich layers of intimacy and revealed character depths in such a natural way. A truly delightful read that both honors and expands upon a cherished story.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a delightfully fun reimagining of one my favorite stories (Little Women), told in the perspectives of Amy, Meg, and Beth. Is it 100% accurate as to how Louisa May Alcott would have told the story or even how I imagine the stories of these three women playing out? Of course not! Readers will be sorely disappointed if they go into this read expecting it to be precisely as Louisa May Alcott would have written it. Instead, that is the charm and appeal of The Other March Sisters. It takes the characters, setting, and story that has captivated so many, and adds new (and sometimes modernized) aspects.

I especially loved the retelling in Amy’s perspective. As a huge Jo fan, I still always felt the Amy/Laurie side of Little Women was not properly explained or fully developed in Little Women, so it was very satisfying and fun to read this reimagined filling in of those gaps. The authors captured the characters very well, making for an enjoyable and cozy read.

Thank you to Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, Liz Parker, Kensington Publishing, RB Media, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

I was curious and a little apprehensive to read The Other March Sisters by Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker since Little Women is my favorite book. I was worried that the authors would put too much of a modern slant on each sister’s tale. I was disappointed that the authors drew inspiration from Louisa Mae Alcott’s sisters instead of the fictional characters. The author’s note explains their writing process. Amy’s story opens and closes The Other March Sisters. I did not feel that the author provided any new information on Amy (or Laurie). I wanted to quit reading soon after I began the story (but I kept persevering). The author’s slant on Meg was not in line with the character, her religion, or her husband. Meg’s husband, John, would not have supported the idea of Meg becoming an herbalist (he did not want help from Meg’s family, and he would not want his wife working especially since they had the twins). I was shocked that the author wrote about Meg supporting a friend who was getting an illegal procedure. I cannot see a devout Protestant like Meg having anything do to with this (my mouth dropped open). I was shocked by the author’s portrayal of Beth. I believe the author underestimated how devastating scarlet fever and rheumatic fever could be especially for someone as fragile as Beth. The author not only had Beth “in the closet,” but she also included Jo and Laurie (I hope it was a walk-in closet). I did not like how sweet Marmee was portrayed as a manipulative villain. One author did not read Little Women until before she began to write her story, and it showed. The authors did not use the correct language for the time period (an example is gay meant lighthearted and carefree in the 1860s). As you can tell, I did not enjoy The Other March Sisters (sorry). To me, it seemed that the authors of The Other March Sisters were not fans of the heartwarming Little Women.

Absolutely enjoyed this! Such a lovely addition to the March sister’s stories. The writing was solid and I loved the letters throughout.

Goodness knows that I have tried - on multiple occasions to read this book, but it's official - I have decided to DNF at 20%.

Little Women is one of my all time favorite books and I typically LOVE retellings and twists on the modern tale but this one just seemed far too out in left field and nothing flowed or worked together. From what I read everything felt disjointed and I'm not sure if that would have come together or not, but it was more than I could take. I also couldn't stand any of the characters - instead of loving them all, I found myself bored and unable to really care.

I really loved the queer representation and wish that I had been able to really read and enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Little Women is the book that made me a reader and probably means more to me than any other book. And while I adore Jo, I am equally fascinated by her three sisters. So I was delighted to discover this book that revolves around the lives of Meg, Beth and Amy. We see their struggles and triumphs outside the shadow of their dynamic sister. In fact, Jo’s voice is absent allowing her sisters to take center stage.

We see Meg, overwhelmed by the pressures of marriage and motherhood struggling with her loss of self and trying to find her identity and something that belongs just to her. A dying Beth’s quiet placidity hiding an inner rage and attempt to find acceptance. And Amy, struggling to figure out who she is and wants she wants from life.

I enjoyed this book and I didn’t miss Jo at all. It is written by three authors which ensured that each of the sister’s stories seemed unique and totally their own. They were individuals. Their inner struggles, hopes and ambitions fleshed out and given more depth, I fell in love with and connected with each one in different and unique ways. I recently did a reread of Little Women and while this book certainly stands on its own, I think it would make a great companion read and enhance that beloved classic.

Thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for this arc.

The Other March Sisters is an exploration of the other leading ladies from Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, Little Women - Meg, Beth and Amy - and what happened while Jo (the protagonist of the original novel) was absent.

Each character is written by a different author and explores the concepts of feminism, filial duty, sexuality, and social responsibility all framed within the 19th Century world these women inhabit. We first meet Amy, away on a tour of Europe and being courted by Freddie Vaughn, with whom she has little in common but is entertaining because of the pressure from home to "marry well". Next we met Meg, who married for neither love nor money, and is feeling trapped in a role she didn't want. And finally Beth, the invalid, who is treated as a placid child, a "house angel" as her parents called her, but filled with fire and rage for the hand life has dealt her.

I don't want to give away spoilers, but each woman faces a pivotal moment where they choose between what they "should" be doing and what spurs their passion.

The authors seamlessly blended their voices with Alcott's, allowing for a far deeper exploration of the March family and their world at the time, however at the same time there is a distinctly 21st Century frame to these characters. The March family were already reasonably progressive for their time - this book explores the further progressive thinking in their daughters, and the subversive ways in which they are able to express these while socially constrained.

A fascinating book, and a wonderful sequel to Little Women.

~This is a NetGalley title. All opinions are my own~

This novel includes three stories: those of Amy, Beth, and Meg of Little Women fame. These were stories well told, but they definitely have a leftist bent. If you will be happy with that, you'll really like this book. If not, you might want to take a pass on this novel.

Amy's story, set in Europe, tracked the recent movie version of Little Women that came out recently. For this reason, the story seemed familiar but didn't impress me as much as the others. The novel really takes off when Meg gets her turn at telling her story. This part of the novel had depth of both character and story. I enjoyed this portion of the novel best.

Beth's story seemed forced and intent on fulfilling an agenda. Without giving away spoilers, this story just didn't seem as authentic and true to the characters as the others. Also, it seemed to look at this time period from a decidedly twenty-first century point of view. I personally didn't care for it, but other readers might.

Overall, I'll give this a 4, mostly because Meg's story was so good.