I read Little Women so many times. It was fun to read a different take on the trajectory of the sisters' lives. I think some reviewers were upset about some of the themes in the book, but I loved that these were addressed. Even though LGBTQ+ wasn't discussed much in literature in the time period, it most definitely was in existence at the time. I appreciated the way they were presented in the novel.

I loved Little Women - such a treasured childhood read for me, I have huge fondness for it. In hindsight I probably shouldn’t have requested this book as it was never going to slot in seamlessly.
It was too jarring and didn’t fit with how I feel about the original.

I was looking forward to this book as Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's boys played a big part in my boring, hot summers in Texas. I read these multiple times during my childhood for the warm cozies they filled me with. I cannot say the same for The Other March Sisters, a collection of short stories by Linda Epstein, Ally Malineinko, and Liz Parker. I wanted to like this book as a sequel to the original. The premise is good, yet something is lost in the transition to the page.

The sisters, Beth, Amy, and Meg--(no Jo)-- have separate stories that are supposed to enlarge on some events in the original novel, adding LGBTQ themes. A lighter touch would have worked better in the historical timeframe, instead it reads like there are splashes of contemporary behavior with modern phrasing. Perhaps a contemporary setting would have been a better fit.

Meg's story was good, I liked that she portrayed emotions not uncommon to worn-down new moms. She struggles to help herself and others within the strict social rules of her era. The dark side of her tale left me cold because it maimed a favorite character from the original work. That said, it was my favorite of the three stories. Though this book did not resonate with me, those readers who have not read the original book, or did not love it, will probably enjoy it.

Excellent book, love it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

Little Women was my favorite book growing up and I always love going back to this story. The idea that we are getting the -real- story was fun to me. I liked how the Amy/Laurie plot was expanded, but one “twist” felt super forced. The Marmee slander took this book down a star. The moment she was hateful to Meg shattered a piece of my soul. I saw that the author who wrote that part had never read the book…maybe that’s why it was so jarring. The concept of this book was good and the bones of the stories were there, but it dragged on in some parts and some character choices didn’t make sense.

I have tried to read this book for several months now, but I can't get into it. Sadly there's nothing fresh about this story.

This book felt like a warm hug, in that same endearing way Little Women does.

While Amy and Beth’s stories were compelling, the pages spent with Meg were my favorite. I felt seen: the mother who feels like the woman she was before is lost in the day-to-day parenting tasks. The way she blossomed, rediscovering herself beyond mothering was delightful to witness. Also, the way Meg and John navigate this period in their marriage was so well-written.

All three sisters expanded into their dreams and it was a joy to be along for it. It was refreshing to see these three sisters through a modern lens.

The Other March Sisters comes out February 25th next year. Be sure to pre-order or request your library purchase a copy!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was looking forward to this book because Little Women is one of my favourite books. Unfortunately, Meg and Amy's sections were both so repetitive and one note. Beth's was interesting.
Books like this don't have to be written exactly as the original but when there are characters that say "I feel seen" or other 21st century idioms, it pulled me right out of the story.
I won't even mention some of the plot changes! 😳 I think this would have been far more successful if they had set it in modern day.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy


"The Other March Sisters is a collection of short stories by four contemporary writers who reimagine the characters of the March sisters from the classic novel Little Women. Each story offers a fresh perspective on the lives of the characters, focusing on their challenges, experiences, and dreams. The book perfectly captures the spirit of the original, but at the same time gives a modern twist to the problems women face today. While reading, you feel a strong emotional connection with the characters, their determination and vulnerability. This is an interesting interpretation of the classic that emphasizes the relevance of the themes and the depth of the characters.

This Little Women retelling went into the story of Beth, Meg and Amy.
I am definitely the target audience as a millenial female who loved Little Women when I was a kid.

I connected so much with the stories of love, finding yourself and motherhood. Meg's story in particular for me hit like that punch in the gut about being lost in motherhood and the societal expectations on mothers.

I enjoyed how it was written in 4 parts following each of the characters. I did at the end, even though we know the ending of the book, feel like it wasn't quite finished yet. The authors did note that that was the point but left wanting MORE which is so good to have at the end of a book (not wanting it to end).

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of the eARC of this book and congratulations to the authors on their book release.

Little Women has always held a special place in my heart, so when I came across The Other March Sisters by Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker, I couldn’t resist diving in. It’s a reinterpretation that shines a light on Meg, Beth, and Amy, the sisters who often take a back seat to Jo.

I had high hopes for this reimagining, but I was underwhelmed by Meg and Amy’s narratives. A lot of what was supposed to be fresh about their stories felt too familiar from the original story. On the other hand, Beth—who's often overlooked—really stood out to me here. Her character arc was a highlight, and it was fascinating to see her given more depth and strength. While it didn’t completely capture my heart, I did appreciate seeing a more assertive side of Beth, a woman rising above her struggles.

The concept of the book had so much promise, but ultimately it fell a bit short for me. The language was also more modern than I expected, which pulled me out of the historical setting at times. There was one intriguing thread that came up near the end that I wished the authors had explored more, but everything felt rushed to fit the timeline, making some of the storylines feel a little implausible. With that said, it was a nice way to revisit the world of Little Women, even if it didn’t fully meet my expectations. It’s always interesting to reflect on books from our youth through an adult lens—new details stand out in unexpected ways.

Little Women was and is a favorite. I loved reading about Jo and her sisters. I’ve visited Concord Massachusetts and imagined it snow covered as described. When I saw that this gave voice to the other sisters, I couldn’t resist. All of us with a sister know that while our sisters know us better than anyone else, if we each told our OWN stories, they might be a little different. I enjoyed each sisters story and getting to know them through their “own” words.

🍃I love little women by louisa May Alcott ,so much that i was sceptical before reading this book , should i read or not ,will this book captivates my attention and add the important details about the life of sisters and yes this book is what we need a perfect read about historical ,social, and the Sisters individual life.

🍃Authors has done an amazing work by weaving the sister's individual journey with delicate words and strong plot . Every individual has depth in their character and love how the story unfolds about AMY, MEG and Beth ,true to the story of little women but Authors has given a new perspective about the lives of sister.

🍃Recommending this book to everyone who wants to read about the journey of sister's with a twist and a new perspective.

💐Read if you like

💜LITTLE WOMEN
💜LGBTQI+
💜Feminist
💜Historical

I requested this one on a whim from NetGalley. Little Women (and Little Men, and Jo's Boys) are some of my favorite "classic" reads. I read them in my teen years and loved them. Several years ago, I enjoyed revisiting the characters again in the book Jo and Laurie by Margaret Stohl. So, I was intrigued by another book set within the Little Women canon but told from the perspectives of the other March sisters.

First, what worked for me: I enjoyed revisiting these beloved characters. Meg's storyline, in particular, felt very believable. Also, there were a lot of good lines to highlight!

What didn't work as well for me was Beth and Laurie's storylines. They are "What if..." storylines explored in rather clunky ways.

Still, I give the book 3 stars for allowing me to return to the world of Little Women. It is interesting to return to books that you loved when you were younger to consider from an adult's perspective some of the things that you didn't pay attention to when you read them earlier in life.

I would recommend this book to any other diehard Little Women fans. You're probably going to have some opinions about what the authors did with the March sisters (and spouses), and that is what makes reading fun.

Big thanks to the publisher for granting my Netgalley request for this one!

I was so excited about this book due to the fact that for a very long time I wanted to see a reinterpretation of the "Little Women" where I would have the opportunity to learn more about the other sisters. Unfortunately, I found Meg and Amy's stories to be very bland... most of their character traits that were meant to be developed in their separate stories I had already deduced from the original book, but I really enjoyed Beth's transformation, one of the most neglected sisters in terms of character development in Alcott's book.

My desire to get to Beth March's story made me continue reading this book... for about 3 weeks I was stuck on Meg's story because the first part, Amy's, already disappointed me. But now I managed to finish the book, and even if I didn't like it completely, I'm glad that I was able to see another side of the dear and not so fragile Beth, a woman reborn from her own ashes who defends her opinions and ideas and who is no longer afraid to voice her thoughts.

Little women is one of my favourite books so I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this book. Sadly it wasn’t for me, though there were parts I enjoyed. looking into the lives of the sisters from their points of views was at times fascinating but generally I was disappointed with how they were portrayed!

The thing is I like the idea of this book, and I wanted to like this book, but in the end I really don’t like it.
This is supposed to be a telling of some of the events of Little Woman from the other sisters perspective. It takes place starting from when Amy is in Europe and ends before she has to return for Beth.
I found the writing of the girls inner thoughts to be incredibly cyclical. They all get one overarching theme and then it is just hammered to death. I found some of the language choices to be incredibly modern to a point where it was jarring. The one interesting avenue that I wish was explored further was basically a footnote at the end of the book. The authors picked a very tight timeline to squeeze a lot of new plot into and it winds up feeling rushed and implausible. They miss the mark on giving characters that I would care more about. There is also some reinterpretation of events of the original novel that had left and worked with could have really strengthened the points they were trying to make.
Thank you to @netgalley @kensingtonbooks for letting me have a copy of #theothermarchsisters for review.
#bookstagram #bookworm #bookreview #book #readmorebooks #readersofinstagram #readersofig

Giving life to The Other March Sisters, we get to see more of Amy, Meg, and Beth.

Through four parts, Amy, Meg, Beth and back to Amy, we get to learn more about the three sisters and journey with them through their lives while Jo is away in New York.

With themes including motherhood, love, queer identities, chronic illness, and ambition, the audience gets to explore topics that even still can be considered taboo.

Thanks to NetGalley, Publisher, and Authors for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the idea of this book, unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. I did enjoy Beth’s storyline and I loved Uncle Edward.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

Novel written by several authors: Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker.
The story in this book is based on Louisa May Alcott's books but also on letters between Louisa and the sisters, and it is about who Amy, Meg, and Beth are and what they do when Jo does not describe them.
In short, a novel where Amy, Meg, and Beth are main characters.
The book is divided into four parts: Amy, Meg, Beth, and Amy again in the last part.
Jo is in New York trying to break through as a writer; Amy is in Europe because she wants to be an artist; Meg is at home with the twins; and Beth is at home with her parents.
Each character is presented in a different light, as are the relationships with others.
Amy shows tremendous sensitivity and intelligence, and with her, we shed light on “queerism” in some of the characters in the story. Lurie is in this part; he shows a couple of times.
Meg is described with a very determined personality and also clear opinions: she realizes her conflicted relationship with her mother and that she is in an unhappy marriage.
Beth, on the other hand, has the shorter part, but the decidedly almost more unedited one.
The author who wrote Beth's part writes that she was much more inspired by the letters of Louisa May Alcott's sister than solely by the Beth we are used to.
So. If you consider the story as integrated into Little Women, then there are some not inconsiderable “adjustments,” for example, Laurie's story, Beth's story, but especially Marmee's character. If you consider this story as a kind of fanfiction, okay, I have three authors telling me their version of events. I personally considered it in the second version, and they did not overlap at all with the story I know.
Instead, the aspect that I didn't like so much and came out in the final acknowledgments is that the book is not fan to fan; not all the authors knew Little Women and had to document themselves to write the book. And by documenting themselves, they turned Amy, Meg, and Beth into the sisters, the real ones of Louisa May Alcott. Why not write a story about them instead?
Finally, on a negative note, there are a couple of concepts that are repeated over and over again. A couple of times is already too much.