The original Little Women written in still held up as a classic for young girls over 100 years later. I read it as a child in the 1960's and it was one of my favorites. I still have that copy on my book shelf. That is why I wanted to read The Other March Sisters so much. I love retellings. Sometimes a fresh viewpoint can add to a story and sometimes, they make you want to cringe. If you look at other reviews, you will see both reactions. I prefer to judge the book for itself and not so much in comparison to the original.

The premise of the book is that Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is Jo's version of the events. But each woman has her won story to tell. Three different authors each wrote the story for one of the sisters. This division of labor helped to give each character a unique voice. It is well known that Little women was autobiographical fiction. The characters are idealized versions of the author and her sisters. The authors of this book have woven together research about Louisa May Alcott's and her sisters, passages from their own writing including some of their letters and passages from the original books. After adding their own imagination to the mix, the result is three fantastic narratives. Each woman is so much more than the one dimensional idealized little woman. All three stories include detail that breathe new life into the women. I loved this book.

The story takes place during the time when the girls have grown up. Jo is in New York, Amy in Europe, Meg is a mother of young twins and Beth is the "house angel". Each story is told primarily in letters from one of the sister's to another. I actually alternated between an electronic advanced copy and the temporary audiobook that I received from the publisher. This is one of those times when I can enthusiastically recommend the audiobook. The publishers have not only used three authors but used separate narrators as well. Each one did a fantastic job telling her story. I only have one problem with the audiobook, it does not include the afterward with the authors' notes. These author notes were very important. And these notes were very important when explaining some of the liberties that were taken with the story. Although the book description does not include the fact, potential readers do need to be aware that there is a strong LGBT storyline throughout this novel. The character of Jo eventually marries in the end of "Little Women" despite claiming throughout that she would never marry. But Alcott never did. The creators of the book state in the afterward that LGBT people have always existed throughout history. and so these characters appear in all three stories. While it makes perfect sense to address Jo's sexuality, she always refers to herself as their brother, adding these qualities to some of the other characters and including the topic in all three stories almost seems to be a bit excessive. Some of my favorite recent books were actually LGBT love stories. But it is not everyone's cup of tea. Especially for many Alcott fans, so there really should have been some mention in the blurbs or back cover.

Overall, I loved this book. If you enjoy a retelling with a fresh viewpoint, you will too.

I lost count of how many times I tried to start this book. Every attempt ended with me feeling stuck in a dry opening, and I kept putting it aside. But I really loved the premise, so I gave it one last shot - and I’m glad I did.

Retellings of classic stories are everywhere these days, and for good reason. There’s something fascinating about revisiting familiar characters from a new perspective. This book, written by three authors, reimagines Little Women through the eyes of the sisters who were often overshadowed - Amy, Beth, and Meg. What made it even more intriguing was that the authors drew inspiration from real-life stories and letters from Louisa May Alcott’s own sisters.

I particularly enjoyed Meg’s section, which explored the price of motherhood, and Beth’s, which captured that feeling of “running out of time” (to borrow from Lin-Manuel Miranda). Seeing their lives fleshed out gave me a much better appreciation for their struggles and choices, even if their sections were relatively short. The letters between the sisters were also a nice touch.

Amy’s story, on the other hand, didn’t really work for me. I struggled with the writing style in her section, which might explain why I had such a hard time getting into the book. It did redeem itself slightly toward the end, but it was my least favourite of the three perspectives.

Despite my slow start, I think this was a successful attempt at giving more depth to the “other” March sisters. I’d recommend it to Little Women fans or anyone who enjoys retellings.

3.25/5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story about Amy, Meg, and Beth was beautifully written. I enjoyed the way each sister had her own voice and her own story to tell. I love the Little Women story and I love how this take on a classic is so well done. The ending came quickly because of how invested I was in the story and characters. I do feel like the way the authors ended it was perfect for the characters. The characters were so well developed and I found myself caring about what happened to them.

Would I have thought Little Women was an unfinished story if this book didn’t show up on my radar? Not necessarily. But I am so grateful to the authors for providing more content in the Little Women universe, so to speak, and for letting Amy, Beth, and Meg’s stories shine. This book was very cozy and sweet without being cloying. I think the tone read appropriately for a Little Women pastiche, particularly the correspondence between characters that was included. I loved reading Amy’s story the most, as I’ve always thought she was a misunderstood character. The authors did their best with Beth’s story, which did feel unfinished but I suppose that can’t be helped. Meg’s story felt the most unexpected. While not necessarily out of place, it did feel like the authors took some liberties.

One thing I did not love was how bitter the sisters all seemed toward Jo and how much she was left out of this story. Although Little Women is from Jo’s perspective and the point of this book was to show the other sister’s perspectives, it just felt like the whole thing swung a little far in the other direction. And the resentfulness extended to their mother as well. I just felt that even more than the queer representation and progressive choices made by the sisters which other readers have taken issue with, their attitudes about their sister and mother felt a bit forced and modern, like the authors were creating something that wasn’t there to begin with.

Overall I’m so pleased to have had the chance to delve into these stories and spend a little extra time with the other March sisters!

This story takes place throughout the second half of Little Women, otherwise known as Good Wives. Amy is in Europe, Meg is finding her place as a mom and wife & Beth is dealing with her sickness. Each character is finding herself and trying to break out of the societal expectations, especially those put on by Marmee.

Little Women was a childhood favorite and has become a comfort read and for me this book did a good job expanding on and filling in moments from the story. We get a sense for how Meg, Amy and Beth are dealing with their lives and what they ultimately want for themselves. As I got older and reread the story I wanted to be the mom Marmee is to her girls. This story gives a different perspective on Marmee.

The story is written in four parts. Amy's life starts and ends the story, with Meg and Beth's sections in the middle. Each part is the whole story for each character. It is easy to follow and parts of the original story are woven in.

I do recommend having some knowledge of Little Women going into this story as it will make more sense. This book will not be for everyone, but I did enjoy how each author presented their own version of the characters.

This book does include a storyline of abortion in one character's section. It isn't graphic, but the character needs to decide to help out a friend in a safe way.

Thank you NetGalley for opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks so much to Kensington for the gifted ARC!

Okay. I am neither a lover of classics nor a regular historical fiction reader... BUT I do love Liz Parker, so I read this... in two sittings! I absolutely loved it, and would've read it in one sitting, but kids. I loved following the stories of Amy, Meg, and Beth. They had such distinct voices and I was truly engaged all the way through the book - the storyline was cohesive, familiar to the classic, and flowed very well. While this is a fresh take, the authors really took the time to do their research and make these characters representative of their times, struggles, and desires. While I haven't read the books listed as comparative reads in the synopsis (Hamnet, March, Caroline), this did remind me a bit of Weyward, and I think readers of that would appreciate this book!

I really enjoyed listening to this on audio, as narrated by Laura Knight Keating, Taylor Meskimen, & Rachel Botchan. It was nice to have a voice for each perspective!

Please check trigger warnings for this book before reading.

We’re all familiar with Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women, which highlights the talents of the March sisters, with Jo standing out as the rebellious writer. In this creative retelling, The Other March Sisters, we get to see new dimensions of the other sisters. Amy focuses on developing her artistic skills while navigating European society in search of a husband. Meg, now a mother of twins, grapples with her desire for a life beyond domestic duties. Beth, whose life has been overshadowed by illness and her mortality, struggles with feelings of inadequacy. Each sister is given a voice by three different authors, offering a fresh take on their characters while remaining true to the essence of the original story.

Themes of feminism, self-doubt, unspoken desires, and the complexities of love intertwine in this tale of young women navigating the constraints of their time.

I was really excited about this new release because I really love Liz Parker's writing style. I didn't think it would matter that I'm not familiar with Little Women, but I think that would have really helped my experience with understanding the nuances of each character.

It's really hard for me to review this book because at the end of the day. I think I'm just not the right reader for it.

The Little Women retelling/continuation we all deserve. I loved it! Especially getting closer look at my girl Amy!!

I did not finish this book. While I love Little Women, I wasn't as interested in reading the POV of Amy as I thought I would be.

Everyone has read Jo's writings and knows how Jo felt being a March sister. But how did the three other sisters feel as each grew into adulthood? Each of these "Little Women" has her secrets, things not even the other sisters ever knew.

Amy, seeker of beauty in all people, places, and things.

Meg, who yearns for love, healing, and discovery.

Beth, a haunted little woman who waits to be seen.

I enjoyed the textural reading of this book. The author has control over a lovely display of vocabulary, providing descriptive words that caused me to pause to investigate the meaning.

Content: Alludes faintly to mature topics. Lots of queer elements in the story too. Intended for adult readers. Would recommend to 16 and up.

I have not read the original Little Women, but I have heard and read enough to understand its essence and characters.

These three authors have a new perspective on the beloved Little Women classic. Where the original included Jo’s POV, we now hear from only the other sisters. These March sisters grapple with a unique set of life issues: motherhood, identity, illness, and artistic goals. This re-visit with these sisters through a lens of diversity might challenge the classic purist. But it did make for an interesting and compelling read.

3.5⭐️

Thank you @uplitread @lindaepsteinauthor, @lizparkerwrites, @allymalinenko for these gifted books and ebook via NetGalley.

Thank you @recordedbooks for the gifted audiobook via #netgalley.

I have read & watched many Little Women adaptations and works that use the characters. I havent quite decided how I feel about this work. It has been a while since I read the original but I felt like Amy's story was the one that made the most sense in the context of the original. I liked Meg's story as I am interested in herbalism and gardening as well. I didnt feel like it was that much of a stretch. I felt like the authors when a little too far in making Marmee manipulative. I think it would have been better to make her a little sweet. However Beth's story was the one I struggled with. Not that she would be angry about her fate but that she would have a female love interest. I understand that the authors wanted queer representation in this work but it seemed too out of the blue for me.
Also as this was in ebook format, I could not read the letters that the sisters wrote each other.

I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for this book, with most negative reviews unhappy with the way the other three March sisters are portrayed so opposite to the Little Women book. I personally loved it. I love seeing their lives from a different perspective, not through Jo's eyes, and imagining how things might have played out differently for them to get to the same place they ended up. It was a delightfully fresh take on a beloved classic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this free copy of "The Other March Sisters."

I grew up reading "Little Women" and it's one of my favorite books ever. So it's always a joy to read retellings, especially if they focus on Jo's sisters, giving them more depth and complexity.

This lovely novel takes place while Amy is in Europe. She struggles with wanting to pursue her art but marrying well to provide financial stability for herself and family.

Meg feels that she married too young and was guided (pushed?) into marriage by Marmee. Her sisters are off pursuing their dreams, but what of hers?

Beth feels that she's wasting away and she wants to express the anger that she keeps hidden. But then she makes a special friend.

This memorable book is one to be treasured and placed right beside Alcott's.

This is an absolutely wonderful book for fans of Little Women and I think it’s a great book club book. I thoroughly enjoyed all the queer themes explored within the book. It was expertly researched and well crafted.

I think it's really interesting to see the different directions that adaptations and reimaginings can go. I enjoyed the focus on the other sisters in this, but it felt like something was missing to me. I will note that I was not a fan of how Marmee was handled, or Meg for that matter, her not being in love made it so sad. Honestly, read the original work.

In this novel, the authors have reimagined the lives of the other March sisters, Meg, Amy and Beth from Little Women. I enjoyed some parts of the book more than others. I found it interesting to see background stories and strong personalities in the sisters. I almost feel like they tried too hard to include every possible imagining and maybe it strayed too far from Louisa May Alcott’s classic.

I grew up with Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, so I’m protective of these sisters. The 1994 film adaptation brought the March family to life and introduced me to my first crush, Theodore Laurence. There’s also room in the canon for the 2019 movie, and I’m happy to expand the circle for this novel that tells parts of the familiar story from the other sisters’ perspectives. I particularly enjoyed getting inside Amy’s head on her grand tour of Europe while she balanced her quest for an artistic life with her growing love for her boyhood neighbor.

I adore Little Women and was excited to read The Other March Sisters by Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this retelling. I felt the authors tried to write a modern version set in the time period of Little Women. Too many modern issues with modern viewpoints were the focal point of the story. The way Marmee was portrayed just broke my heart. The idea of showing the lives of the other March sisters was a good one but it didn't stay consistent to the original in my opinion. The book was well written with good character development and may have been more on the mark had it been a retelling set in modern times. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced digital copy.