Breathes new life into a fan-favorite children's classic :)
I vividly remember reading Little Women as a young girl, and the story's stuck with me since. I loved the portrait it drew of a family of sisters and their resilience... I recall being so angry with Amy about what she did to Jo, feeling so defeated as Beth grew sicker, being enchanted with their darling Mother who always seemed to know how to pull them altogether. This took the same concept of family and sisters, set during the Civil War, and reimagined the cast as Black. I absolutely loved it. I didn't realize until a few years back just how limited my options were in seeing diversity in the books I read back then, ESPECIALLY when it came to what we deem "classic" literature.
These characters, and the relationships they have with one another and with the world around them, are both similar and very different. We still have four sisters who are determined to put forth good in the world, guided by the benevolent and loving hand of their mother. We still have an "Amy" in Ametheyst who is eager to partake in the world, instead of being forgotten and left at home and deemed too young. We have Meg, who still fits into the role of the "big sister who takes care of her younger sisters". And of course Beth/Bethlehem, who is just so... full of goodness it always makes me make to be better. And fiery, spirited Jo! Reading this felt both like coming home to something that is familiar and beloved and arriving somewhere new that is full of possibility. Loved this, this is going to be perfect for young readers who love the classics and who have always wondered what it would look like if THEY were the main characters instead.
These characters, and the relationships they have with one another and with the world around them, are both similar and very different. We still have four sisters who are determined to put forth good in the world, guided by the benevolent and loving hand of their mother. We still have an "Amy" in Ametheyst who is eager to partake in the world, instead of being forgotten and left at home and deemed too young. We have Meg, who still fits into the role of the "big sister who takes care of her younger sisters". And of course Beth/Bethlehem, who is just so... full of goodness it always makes me make to be better. And fiery, spirited Jo! Reading this felt both like coming home to something that is familiar and beloved and arriving somewhere new that is full of possibility. Loved this, this is going to be perfect for young readers who love the classics and who have always wondered what it would look like if THEY were the main characters instead.