Book Review

From Chelsea Weibley at the Library

Marmee by Sarah Miller

“As I sat reveling in the sight of my Family, an absurd question burrowed into the folds of my mind and lodged stubbornly there: Which of my girls am I most proud of? It is rather like asking which of my four limbs is most essential. Each of them has blossomed into a woman that embodies one of my fondest aspirations.”

This book destroyed me in the best possible way. I absolutely love Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and I adore the 1994 movie version. I read and saw these as a child, so the view of the March family from the perspectives of the sisters connected with me. Now, Sarah Miller has written a retelling from Marmee’s perspective at a time I can identify with her and it wrecked me.

The book is a series of Marmee’s diary entries from 1862 – 1868. We experience the events of Little Women differently in this retelling. For me, the experience was deeper as I read the stories from Marmee’s view. I also loved the depth of time and place we get in reading Marmee’s view. The Civil War battles and headlines and how they make her feel with Amos a chaplain in the war, the stories of their involvement in the abolitionist movement and the involvement Marmee has in the relief rooms make such a richly nuanced story. I loved seeing Marmee’s heart for others, the frustration caused by her temper and the depth of her love for her Family, Hannah, Laurie and others featured in the original. I also loved that I was able to take the train with Marmee and John when she went to Amos’s bedside instead of being left behind as a reader, waiting to see if Mr. March returned from war.

There are so many charming, heart-warming and gut-wrenching elements in this retelling. If you enjoy the story of Little Women, read this book. Get ready…it’s not a fast read, but when I finished, I closed the cover almost reverently, tears streaming and whispered, “This was worth it.” I am not a reader that enjoys crying, but this book, oh this book…

Check out Marmee by Sarah Miller for yourself at the Library (https://catalog.lclibs.org/polaris/search/title.aspx?ctx=7.1033.0.0.4&pos=1&cn=395949).