Babbling about Books--Thursday

March
Geraldine Brooks
Fiction (2006)

One of my all time favorite books is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I read it as a young girl and several times since. Of course, I related to Jo March, the young aspiring writer. I so wanted to be like her when I grew up—I still do. (Smile).

Because of my well-known love for Little Women, a friend recommended that I read March. It is the story of the elusive Mr. March. The book March chronicles the missing information and history of the father of the little women, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy.

Geraldine Brooks makes this book come to life with the Civil War details and the emotions that Mr. March experiences. It is evident that Ms. Brooks did her research for the era. Her imagination created a character that is complex. As the reader, at times I liked him, at other times I did not.

I must warn potential readers that it is not a sweet follow-up to the classic of Little Women. It deals with racism, cruelty, and the loss of idealism of Mr. March. The book explains the cause of the March family poverty. It also may change your view of the sweet and noble Marmee. It is a gritty, moving novel intended for adult readers.

So on that note, I am off to sharpen my own writing skills. I do not think I will ever write the next breakout novel, but I sure am going to have fun trying.

See you tomorrow on The Writers’ Porch,