by Sarah Miller
I wasn’t sure what to expect from ’Marmee’. Being a big fan of ‘Little Women’, I was concerned that Sarah Miller would misinterpret the story. I was pleasantly surprised by this book!
“If ever she uses her pen to mark down her own thoughts in her own voice, I suspect that Jo will leave us all gape-mouthed with wonder… There are, after all, tiny fragments of herself embedded in these frolicsome fantasies.”
Sarah Miller dug into Marmee’s mind and delightfully portrayed her personality. She gave her so much depth, with a backstory and a tender care for her daughters and those around her in need of help. I always loved Marmee, but this book made me love her even more.
Jo, Meg, Beth & Amy were also really well written. I felt that they were consistent with Little Women, and loved the way that Marmee viewed them. I could tell that Miller did her research about Louisa May Alcott, and the way she incorporated details from Louisa’s own family life was really fun!
“It is not only that she is afraid—it is that she is ashamed of being afraid.”
The insight about Beth was touching. Her struggles, and Marmee’s frustrations and guilt about them were very human.
*Spoilers, but also everyone probably knows what happens to Beth.* I did cry when she died. 😭
“The music has gone from this house,” he said. “We have not sung together at night since Beth died.”
Laurie and Marmee’s relationship was SO sweet! All the other side characters, Mrs. Hummel, Amos March, Mr. Lawrence, Hannah, and John Brooke made the story sparkle. I loved their interactions.
Now, with all this praise, a warning... Initially, I thought this story would be my favourite read of the year. The beginning and ending was fantastic. However, there were two paragraphs I found inappropriate. They were abrupt and out of place, and went into more detail than I am comfortable with. I could easily skip them, but they did make me give this book 4 instead of 5 stars.
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