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.

Little Women is my favorite book of all time (I even named my daughter Meg) so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read this. I wouldn’t classify this as a retelling, instead I’d say that it’s an expansion to the world of LW.
The exploration of “what could’ve” happened along side Jo’s version of events is a fabulous concept. It adds new light and depth to Meg, Beth, and Amy. I always came away from LW feeling sad for Beth, of course, neutral on Meg, and kind of negatively of Amy. Seeing these expansions of their lives added so much to Alcott’s original. I loved the strength that Meg gained from finding usefulness within her life as a wife and mother. It made me so happy to see Beth have a tender relationship in her time, and Amy was completely redeemed as a person seeking inspiration and love, not just money. Amy’s letters (to and from) throughout the book helped to see their relationships entwined.

This has earned a spot on my Little Women shelf!

This book is a reimagining of Little Women in which we get to know the point of view of Amy, Meg and Beth, who in the original work are somewhat relegated due to Jo's vision of them.
In fact, the story begins after Amy goes to Europe, Meg has her twins and Beth is trying to recover from her illness.

and I must say that this book gave me everything I needed without knowing it👌🏻✨... I don't know if you knew it but Little Women is one of my favorite stories although I must admit that I didn't like how the ending turned out for the sisters and with The other March Sisters I was finally able to see the characters in a more human and empathetic way 💖

I think the authors did a great job giving life to the March sisters adding feminist themes and with queer love 💘

At the moment it is only available in English but I feel that it uses a very friendly vocabulary for those who are just starting to read in this language (although I hope they bring it to Spanish one day 🤞🏻)

As a lover of all things Little Women I was excited for this retelling. I am not such a purist that I wasn't ready for some other dialogue and possibilities among the March sisters, but I feel like the author (as have many before her) got a checklist of all the hot button topics of society in 2025 and checked them off one by one for this book. I was definitely expecting some women's liberation thinking and talk...and this truly was becoming somewhat of an issue in the day Little Women was written since we know Marmee was a proponent of women's suffrage. But scoffing at a mother in those days seeking marriage for her daughters is ridiculous. It was a necessary pursuit for most whether good or bad. Just a bit of accurate historical context would be good...or else just write a contemporary novel. Does every character in the story really face the issues of abortion or homosexuality or interracial relationships or ___ (insert item from social checklist)...and equally approve of all of them without realizing the repercussions of the time period?
Rather than being pleased at the possibility of some alternative choices for relationships, it was kind of just sad to see that what Alcott started wasn't embellished upon, but rather muddied, in my opinion. Jo's absence was palpable in the story, but even ones you might have hoped to hear more about (Amy and Laurie, for example) fell apart.
I really do enjoy classic lit retellings but would recommend instead going with Caroline, Marilla of Green Gables, Mr. Rochester, Death Comes to Pemberley and Marmee to name a few.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

Was “Little Women” one of the first books you read and fantasized what happened to the other March sisters? This book, written by three different authors, have done just that based upon research of Amy, Beth and Meg. It’s a delightful read taking you through various European cities, finding one’s self in a yard of nettles and friendship and worth through an unlikely friend.
Please read the authors notes and acknowledgment. This would be great for a book club as it also includes Discussion Questions. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC of this book; the opinions expressed are my own.

Happy Publication Day to Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker on the release of their new book entitled The Other March Sisters.

The Publication Date for The Other March Sisters is today: February 25, 2025.

If you know anything about me and my reading history, you are aware that I have three literary loves that ignited my passion for reading. I fell in love with The Secret Garden when I was a young child (my mom would read to me every night). And, I fell in love with Little Women and Pride and Prejudice when I started reading on my own accord. I see so much of my independence in Jo March and in Lizzie Bennett. Let’s just say that I’m an obstinate headstrong woman.

The concept of The Other March Sisters is to focus on the lives of Beth, Meg, and Amy without the influence and mentorship of Jo. This point of view allows the reader to learn more details about the sisters' lives after Jo left to become a journalist in New York. Although the adventures of each sister are not all that surprising, it’s interesting to read with more of a focus on each.

In my opinion, I believe that Meg and Jo could live without Jo just fine but I do wholeheartedly believe that Jo helped tremendously with Beth’s anxiety. It would have been nice to see a tad bit of Jo’s influence in small visits or letter writing from Jo.

Little Women is a classic on the shelves and in my heart. I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this adaptation which I enjoyed very much. I certainly recommend it to other lover’s of Little Women and Louisa May Alcott.

1.5 stars

As someone whose favorite book growing up was Little Women, I've always been critical of retellings and adaptations. Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me.

I found the book to be convoluted and the mischaracterization of the March sisters to be shallow. Subsequently, I could not emotionally connect to this book as much as I had hoped. I would have adored a deeper exploration of the March sisters in line with the original book, instead of storylines and plot changes being shoehorned in. I disliked how they represented Marmee in such a malicious light and made her the antagonist of Meg's story. It felt disingenuous. However, I did like the premise; its just the execution that needs refinement.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for this arc.

This was a delightful read taking the reader back to Alcotts original of Little Women. One major difference - the story bypasses the fiery Jo and concentrates on the mild Beth, the conformity of Amy and the routines of Meg.

Meg in a loveless marriage. A partner John who has only just realized what Meg is going through and tries very hard to be supportive and understanding. Meg feels that she was manipulated into the marriage by her mother (and it was cleverly done). Trying to come to grips with the situation as it is, also overcoming an over bearing mother is not easy for the always obedient Meg. We have Beth, sick and looked on as an invalid without a mind of her own. Beth now wants to make her own decisions even in the confined space of her home. Mother has to find a way to deal with that. Then we have Amy’s story which forms the major part of this story.

Amy is on the tour of her dreams in Europe. Painting, copying and sketching throughout Europe. She is also having a suitor, and she does understand that the entire purpose of this tour is to make an advantageous marriage and redeem the family, the appearance of Laurie, the boy next door makes her confused, and her feelings veer between the safe Fred and the unpredictable Laurie.

Shades of LGBT very much evidenced in the story, handled well according to the dictates of the time. Feelings of all three girls also very descriptive and gives one a view of the character and strength of each young lady.

The Other March Sisters invites readers to a world familiar and yet new. The characters you may remember have fresh depth and motivation.
With a modern twist, the author gives you something new to love about this classic.

Well this one had me sobbing in my bathtub because I finished it when I was trying to have a relaxing soak, but no, big emotions. Puffy eyes and lots of tears. But also completely worth it.

Like generations of women before me, I grew up with Little Women. It's the first book I ever cried over, it was something I bonded with my mom over reading both the book as well as watching many versions of the movie, and it remains a touchstone in one of my lifelong friendships. Which March sister are you is a valid question when meeting people. I've read Little Men and Jo's Boys, as well as Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs. I was the audience for this book.

And what a story, taking the remaining three sisters in new directions with a more contemporary lens of what their lives truly could've been like. Expanding Meg from a mother into a gardener, into a woman who supports women in more ways than demanding suffrage, and who gets to fall in love in a time when love marriages weren't the norm. Amy and all of her experiences with courting, with her complicated feelings for Laurie and the gentle loss of her naivete around him and his lifestyle, of her having a great understanding for Jo than Jo probably had of herself yet. And Beth...a weakened body and a sharp mind, a great talent and a loving heart, who is at once aware of her limitations and feels trapped by them, and who is also constantly dealing with the trauma of the Hummels and her illness and is utterly alone inside that nightmare...but her story is also the sweetest, the happiest, when she finds a true connection outside of her family, and we hope that she got to experience these big important emotions before she's lost.

Yeah, you're going to cry. Almost all of these stories have a hint of queerness, if not an outright mentioning and accepting of queer identity. Queer people have always been here, and to have the truth of their existence in this beloved world felt absolutely right.