I loved the original Little Women so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this remix. Turned out I had nothing to worry about. The characters in So Many Beginnings had the same names and many of the same behaviors as in the original (although Amy wasn't nearly as annoying in this book.) The strong bond the sisters shared was also evident here as was the love for any by their mother.
But by making the March family Black and setting the book in the Freedpeople's Colony of Roanoke Island during the Civil War allowed the author to explore emancipation and what it did and didn't mean to the lives of the characters. I'm not sure why I was never taught about this period in history but after reading So Many Beginnings I went down a deep rabbit hole.
I am a teen librarian. So Many Beginnings would a great pick for a teen book discussion group. I can't wait to share it with my teens.
But by making the March family Black and setting the book in the Freedpeople's Colony of Roanoke Island during the Civil War allowed the author to explore emancipation and what it did and didn't mean to the lives of the characters. I'm not sure why I was never taught about this period in history but after reading So Many Beginnings I went down a deep rabbit hole.
I am a teen librarian. So Many Beginnings would a great pick for a teen book discussion group. I can't wait to share it with my teens.