On this episode of Everything is Canon, Steve talks to Bethany C. Morrow all about her new book, So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix, which is described as “Four young Black sisters come of age during the American Civil War in this warm and powerful ode to Black joy and sisterhood, a YA remix of the classic novel Little Women.”

Retelling classics that ignore certain aspects of American history would be one thing, remixing them in an honest and forthright way is something else entirely. Bethany takes this head on in So Many Beginnings delivering not only an incredible character study, but a historically accurate one about a Black family who happens to be called March living on Roanoke Island in 1863. Expecting nothing less from her, this beautifully written and highly entertaining remix is the definitive version of Little Women for me now, there’s no question about it.

Steve and Bethany talk about a variety of things including race relations past and present, Patricia C. Click’s Time Full of Trial: The Roanoke Island Freedmen’s Colony 1862-1867, some process, So Many Beginnings of course, and how the minute you make the March sisters Black during that time and in that part of country, it changes everything.

For the full interview, click the link below...

https://www.cinelinx.com/off-beat/shows/everything-is-canon-so-many-beginnings-a-little-women-remix/

I have always loved "Little Women" and any and all adaptations that have been created over the years - if you tell me that the March sisters are coming back in some new media, I am immediately bookmarking it. So when I heard that Bethany Morrow was writing a remix of "Little Women", I knew to be even more excited, as I adore her book "A Song Below Water." I figured that what I was going to read would be a cutesy retelling but nothing really new or invigorating - a comfort read at its' best. Boy, was I (delightfully) wrong. "So Many Beginnings" takes the base material provided by Louisa May Alcott and turns it into a delightful introspective at the Civil War era, that does not shy away from the harsh realities that historical fiction tends to gloss over. I will most definitely recommending this to future readers who ask for historical fiction or classics!

I haven't actually read Little Women but I've seen the movie and read other retellings that have really resonated with me and this one hit me with everything that I ever wanted in a retelling. Not only did it totally blow me away with the "remixing" of the characters, it also added such an intense and heartwrenching discussion about American History. I'm genuinely not even smart enough and definitely probably not qualified to talk about the effect of slavery on the nation and how it was woven into this story. I definitely learned a lot about the aftermath of the freedom of slaves and the colonies that were created for the newly freed Black Americans and will be thinking about this for a long time. I didn't even know that there were specific Freedmen's colonies created in america and I definitely want to learn more about that after reading this!

In regards to the actual story, I was totally blown away. It kept the simple structure of the original story (from whatever I know about it) but added so much more because of the historical setting. I appreciated the depth of the characters, especially with Beth! It was so interesting to see this story told with more viewpoints from all the sisters!

I highlighted so many quotes in this book, especially with Joanna's writing. The Author hit hard with the facts and didn't hold back which I really appreciated!

It’s been a while since I finished a book and it left me with a sense of joy. Let me remind you before you go any further, that this story is a remix, not a retelling. It is a new story and such a great one! I count this as a must-read!

So Many Beginnings is a remix of Louisa May Alcott’s book, Little Women. This remix takes you to the Freedpeople’s Colony of Roanoke Island, North Carolina during the Civil War in 1863. The March family has built a home for themselves after fleeing their enslavers and Mr. March has gone to Corinth, Mississippi to see how another colony has obtained success in their endeavors.

The story follows: Meg, the oldest daughter. She is a teacher who longs to find love and start a family. Jo, a writer whose words are too powerful to be contained, Beth a talented seamstress searching for a higher purpose. Amy, a dancer eager to explore life outside her family’s home.

This story is about the power of family, language and love. It is a story of young Black girls becoming independent young Black women. It is a reclaiming of Black family and childhood and love in a time period that saw so many families separated and destroyed and childhoods that were non-existent. You get to witness how the girls process their traumatic childhood and existence when they were enslaved. But they control that narrative and their processing is conveyed in a manner that lets you know that they have taken back their power and they know it. I appreciate that the trauma never dominates the narrative and the girls get to focus on becoming women and living their lives to the fullest now that they are free.

Morrow’s attention to the language of how the March women refer to the white people in the “old life” as enslavers and captors and wealthy white girl, instead of the words that have traditionally been used, was so critical in conveying how they processed their pain and healing. It is super powerful and I will say healing from my own perspective. Heck, you see I’m not even using those words in this review! You come to the realization that when you use the old terms, you put those who were enslaved into a constant victim status and a role where things only happened to them. This way of using language gives them back their power and makes them whole human beings again who have dreams and wishes and aspirations just like the March girls do.

This book isn’t just a remix, it’s a classic unto itself. I hope educators and parents see this and encourage children to read it as such. Adults and children alike will love this story. I can’t wait to share it with others. Thanks to @Netgalley @turnthepagetours and @fiercereads for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It is entirely rare that I fall in love with a retelling/remake of a story more completely than the original, but So Many Beginnings is the greatest exception. Each character stole my heart in a different way. Jo's character had always been my favorite from the original, but I feel this story finally did right by her. Also the illuminating and heartbreaking history of this story will stay with me forever. I am so grateful to Morrow for writing this book and allowing me to see through different eyes in such a vivid way. I highly recommend this book - especially if you loved Little Women. While I loved the original, So Many Beginnings made my heart feel whole.

My rating: 4.25/5 stars

If you are unaware, I love Little Women. I first consumed this story by way of its most recent movie adaptation and since have read the original text in a mixture of physical reading and by audiobook which I loved. Having a very close relationship with my own sister, this story has always meant so much to me. So when I saw this on NetGalley, I just had to request it.

Like most YA readers nowadays, I have read a lot of retellings. From the most faithful to the most diverging, retellings walk a fine line between predictability and reimagination. So Many Beginnings balanced these two elements perfectly. The March sisters, at their core, maintain the same personalities we know and love. Beautiful Meg, passionate Jo, kind Beth, and dramatic Amy are all present in this story. However, their arcs and plotlines vary in different ways. Meg is a teacher, Amy a dancer, and Beth a seamstress. Jo maintains her original passion for writing, but instead of fiction she writes politically in this remix.

While I would recommend reading Little Women because of my own personal love for the novel, you in no way need to have any understanding of the plot. This retelling, as all good ones should, stands completely on its own.

So Many Beginnings, like Little Women, takes place during the American Civil War (and if you are unfamiliar it would be a good idea to have a basic understanding of this time period). However, the remix enters because the March family are recently freed slaves. They now live in the Freedpeople’s Colony of Roanoke, working and surviving while their patriarch is off fighting for the Union. The daughters retain various memories of their time as slaves, which they refer to as the ‘old life’. Regardless, they all struggle in different ways to make a life for themselves in their new home.

The author stays true to the original story in many respects (which I won’t elaborate on because spoilers) but also makes this wonderful tale of family and sisterhood entirely new. With four intertwining plotlines of the four sisters, there is a lot of room for new interpretation and homage to the original story.

Surprisingly, one of my favorite parts was the small detail of the sisters’ names. All of their names still shorten to their original nicknames from Little Women, but their full names are different. Jo is Joanna (instead of Josephine), Beth is Bethlehem, and Amy is Amethyst. It’s a small detail, but one that made this story just a bit more original and I loved it.

There are so many beautiful quotes nestled among this gorgeous writing. The writing style is definitely reminiscent of the original novel, but is also more modern and easier for young adult readers to understand smoothly.

Overall, I loved this one with all my heart, and I even cried at the end. The reason I am rating it 4.25 instead of five stars is because after finishing, this story almost completely left my thoughts. I find that the true mark of an amazing book is one that sticks with you for days or longer after closing the back cover. This one, unfortunately, did not, although I do still love it and will probably buy a physical copy soon (it’s out right now!!)

For me personally, Morrow’s writing style was at the forefront of my enjoyment of this story. It truly felt like I was reading a classic novel written at the same time as the original. It flowed beautifully and really brought the Freedman’s Colony of Roanoke to life. At times I felt that I was actually walking alongside Jo, instead of merely reading about what she was seeing. However, this did have some impact on the overall pacing of the story. I enjoy wonderful prose but not when it comes at the expense of plot, which was sometimes the case here. I do feel that overall plot is where the original shines more.

The March sisters once again take center stage in this novel. I did enjoy the different paths that Morrow decided to take with each girl. While Jo was still very much a passionate writer, she instead focuses her writing on shedding light on the plight of slavery and the recently freed. I really enjoyed seeing Jo as social justice warrior. It definitely matches her personality and brings more focus to her character. Once again I’m not thrilled by Meg. She’s always been a very meh to me, with little personality. And while we do have a little more insight to her thoughts here, I am still not completely sold on her as being an interesting character. For me, I think Beth is the one that really shines here. She actually has a storyline that goes far beyond being sickly and meek (not to mention the big spoiler). I really enjoyed getting to know her more and finding out what she was really passionate about and how that affects her journey. I think she was actually the bravest one of the entire family. Amy was another bright spot in the story. She lost her previously annoying personality and instead was funny and charming. I actually can admit to enjoying her story the most… Miracles do happen!

I think the greatest part of this retelling is the new setting of Freedmen’s Colony of Roanoke Island and the impact that has on the lives of the March family. I admit to never having heard of this real life town and it was both a fascinating and important spot to have this story revolve around. I am always looking to learning and experiencing something new and Morrow was able to give me that here. It brought to life new aspects of the Civil War that I had never really sat down and thought about (your privilege is showing, Larkin…). It was effortlessly woven into how its impact affected the thoughts, ideas and lives of the women but especially Jo. I appreciated how it still resonates with us now and is just as important in how we approach the current social justice movement.

My biggest issue with this book revolves around the pacing. I felt that the plot took a really long time to develop and then was very rushed at the end. I think the first half of the book could have benefitted from some more editing. It seemed like a lot of buildup for a really quick payoff, when I only wanted more of the girls journey later on. I do think the main plot was where this story fell in comparison to the original. This may be less of an issue for some people, but for me, I thrive on plot and need it be fully engaged with a book. So while I did enjoy the story for the most part, this was where it did lose me somewhat.

I was SO impressed by this retelling - keeping it like the classic with a fantastic slow burn, with a focus on something that is such an important part of history. I loved that while it kept the same themes of sisterhood and self discovery while giving us as readers a diverse, much needed point of view and an incredibly real and relatable story.

The direction Morrow took in the book was interesting and xx, the March family in this tale has recently been emancipated and I really enjoyed reading this side of the Civil War story. In the classic I felt like the characters were a bit harsh and unlikeable, whereas in this title I really enjoyed the sisters, their relationships and how they were written. And heck, who doesn't love when a book sneaks in some knowledge you didn't know, and urges you to go research more about the topic!

I found the writing style refreshing while remaining respectful to the original tale of Little Women, but in a more contemporary voice that kept me interested! Having read Bethany's A Song Below Water books, I was very excited about this book and was absolutely thrilled to be invited to be a part of the tour with Turn the Page Tours!

Thanks to Fierce Reads for the arc of this title.

One sentence review: I loved everything about this Little Women remix set in the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island in 1863 during the Civil War.

Two important facts about me: 1. I was obsessed by Little Women when I was a kid. 2. I'm a historian.

For me So Many Beginnings took everything I loved from those original Little Women books - sisterhood, the strength of family, and women finding and being their true selves - and put it into a historic setting that our American educational system largely ignores. Morrow also takes some part of the story that have always bugged me a little and gives them a spin that I was 100% there for.

My thoughts:

- I loved that this book centers around freed slaves in the Roanoke Colony. I really learned a lot. Morrow does such a great job of showing the complexities of this time in history and the varieties of emotions of the different characters and how there was not universal agreement with regards to settlements or black people's relationship to the Union Army. It was a tumultuous time and this book really captures that.
- This book, much like Little Women, is a slow burn. It meanders itself through the characters and slowly brings them to life. I think Morrow does an excellent job of staying true to the original text, while making a few key changes which help to modernize the text a bit and perhaps make it a bit more accessible for today's YA audience. I liked the changes. A Little Women purist may not.
- I think this would be such a valuable piece of literature for either high school English or History courses (or an adjunct between the two). There are so many great topics addressed in this book that could lead to such great discussions. I'll qualify this by saying my kid's high school recently added The Hate You Give and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe to their supplementary reading in 10th grade so it isn't beyond the realm of possibility.

Long story short - I think this is a really well done remix on Little Women. It is historical while at the same time hits issues that are timely and put a historical perspective on race relations in the United States that seem particularly relevant today.

I enjoyed this remix of Little Women. Taking place in the Freedpeople's Colony in Roanoke Island, follow Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they navigate their new lives as emancipated people and have the choice to forge their own futures.

Morrow has made it very clear that this is a remix rather than a retelling of Little Women - the storylines are only somewhat matching to the original, but are presented in a refreshing way in this new context. What rings true to the original are the sisters' relationships to each other and their personalities. I also loved Mammy and her staunch support of all of her daughters, even if it means that they'll be separated from her, and the character growth that Mammy has in viewing her daughters leaving home, which she understandably has a lot of trauma around.

The historical context of this novel is present throughout this book, in almost every interaction or even the characters' mental assessment of a situation. The trauma of what the Marches have had to go through while enslaved and how it affects how they behave in response to the repeated aggressions post-slavery from both white people and born-free northern black people are shown throughout the book.

I enjoyed the way that the March sisters' stories diverged from the original - Beth's illness, Jo's writing career, Amy's career path in following her dreams, and the love lives of the various sisters. The love lives of the sisters are completely different from Little Women, but I especially love the way that Jo and Lorie's relationship in this book was handled.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the ARC.

The original Little Women was the first book that ever made me cry while reading, and has long held a special place in my heart, so when I saw that Bethany C. Morrow would be writing a retelling, So Many Beginnings was pushed straight to the top of my tbr. One thing I think is especially refreshing about So Many Beginnings is that it is a "remix" rather than just a retelling, which I think allowed for some fantastic changes to be made to the source material. I won't share any spoilers here, but I must say that So Many Beginnings had a couple of well-executed divergences from Little Women which made me love the story even more. Bethany C. Morrow brought a new perspective into a well-loved classic, bringing a new level of depth to each of the characters.

My Recommendation-
So Many Beginnings should be required reading for any and all fans of Little Women, and of stories filled with sisterhood and strong women. I would especially recommend So Many Beginnings to anyone looking for an engaging audiobook to listen to at the start of this fall season!

I love that this remix is historically accurate and highlights previously disregarded stories of real lives. It was really well written. I think I liked the remix of Jo's character the best because I think she highlights black feminism a bit.

4.75/5 stars

I could have read another 300 pages of this — or more. I want a sequel, I want more, I want to continue reading the adventures of the March sisters. This remix of Little Women has EVERYTHING the original does and more. It has the same charm and familial bond, but the framework is different. The conversations are different. The fears and daily struggles are different.

Morrow doesn't shy away from discussing hard things — how could she, in a book about formerly enslaved people who've been emancipated in a land that still doesn't respect them, give them the love they deserve? She broaches them unflinchingly and sometimes it made me uncomfortable, in a good way, a necessary way.

But the book isn't all struggles and hard conversations. It's sisterly bonds, it's following your dreams, it's falling in love. It's unexpected twists and turns and favorite characters. It's love in all its many, myriad, beautiful forms.

My one complaint is that there's too little of it. I simply need MORE.

I was so so excited to see this Little Women remix - a very fresh take and a welcome twist based in Roanoke Island. I live in the Outer Banks where the story is set and amazed how few people know the history of the Freedmen's Colony and that the Underground Railroad runs through these islands. What a creative, well-crafted way to communicate this important history, through the context of a beloved story. I've told my local bookstores and libraries to grab this for readers, made sure the local park service rangers have it on their radar, and telling readers near and far to check out So Many Beginnings!

4.5 stars

This was a retelling of Little Women, but I haven't read the book in decades, so other than the fact that I remembered their four names and Beth died young, I really didn't remember much of the book. I looked up a summary of the original book and this book reflects some of the same themes of sisterhood and love, but this is a book that is its own story. The author did a ton of research about this time period leaned heavily on a book called Full of Trial: The Roanoke Island Freedmen's Colony, 1862-1867. I looked up this colony and I had never heard of it. The way she incorporated Little Women into this setting was really well done. Each of the sisters was similar in temperament and character as their inspirational counterparts, but I loved how the author allowed them to become themselves in the context of the Freedmen's Colony. Like the author, I have never heard of the Freedman's Colony and it was truly eye-opening to me and further evidence of the role that white supremacy and anti-Blackness played in the history we were all given as kids, and why our country is at the state it is with so many people of color still at a disadvantage. For this alone, this book is important.

I also found her spin on Beth's illness (scarlet fever in the original) to lead her to where she ended up to be very well done. Although she never explicitly states what the illness was, you can tell from the various clues what it must be (I'll leave that for you to discover). As in the original book, my favorite character was Jo and I found her take on Jo and Lorie's relationship to be perfect. It ended up really fitting who they became in this story.

All this to say that I really enjoyed this retelling. I loved Little Women back when I was young, but I truly had not read it in decades, so I didn't find myself making comparisons at all. I think this allowed me to really enjoy this book on its own merits without having any conflicts with trying to compare a modern work to a classic that has stood the test of time. What is true of both books is that it really is about the strong bonds of sisters in spite of all their differences.

I definitely recommend this book, especially if you like historical fiction and if you like stories about sisters and family, and yes, if you are a fan of Little Women.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

It is as the title says, this is quite literally a reimagining of Little Women but with newly freedwomen after the brutal Civil War.

The new perspective is incredible to read, I definitely learned more about the Reconstruction Era from this book than I did in school which usually brushed over it. I think I ended up liking the specific setting moreso than the writing, the writing kind of meandered at some points and I skimmed sometimes, but it was still a good reinterpretation of Little Women.

The ending felt rushed, I feel like the book would have benefited if it had more words/time to spread the story out more. Still, a must-read for any Little Women fan!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have read Bethany's other series "A Song Below Water," so when I saw she was doing a Little Women remix, I was super exciting. She has such a unique and well crafted voice and prose in her work that I am easily swept into the world she creates. To be honest, I requested this simply for that. It blew the original Little Women out of the water. This was so good! Absolutely incredible. I couldn't put it down once I started it. I was so intrigued by the Jo, Beth, Amy, Meg, and Mammy. While it still had some similar elements, it almost felt like a completely different novel. It was so well done.

Morrow has one of the most creative, yet authentic voices I've ever read, especially in YA. She has such a talent for laying out a story and fully showing, not telling you how it unfolds. Her characters are dynamic and bold, but each their own person. Seeing the way they coped with what happened after slavery and the war was so eye opening. You don't learn about it, but seeing it from that point of view just made it hurt even worse.

This was just a beautiful novel, full of witty characters, hardship, tears, laughter and full of love. Morrow is a light within the YA community and this is another beauty to add to her resume full of talented novels.

Thanks to Fierce Reads and Turn the Page Tours for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Retellings and historical fiction have always been favorites of mine when its comes to books. Though I’m only vaguely familiar with the original Little Women by Louisa May Alcott by character names and small plot points, I wanted to give this a try in the hopes of not only learning new information history wise, but being able to walk into an existing story with a fresh perspective and enjoy it without the burden of constant comparison in the back of my brain.

One of the things that immediately placed this title on my reading list was the premise of a retelling through the eyes of characters that looked like me. I've been a fan of historical fiction and period piece films for as long as I can remember, but having to juxtapose myself in the stories time after time was becoming frustrating. That in mind, it was such a breath of fresh air to start this and have character details similar to my own features ("clay-brown skin," "swollen braids," "coils of hair" and hair in bonnets! 😍) weaved into the writing. Everything in the structure felt familiar, especially in the characters. I knew of the relationships shared between the sisters and their mother from the original story, and it was done just as beautiful here, if not more of how fleshed out the personalities felt for me. I loved how intimate the moments seemed and how the love and care they had for one another leapt off of the page.

Another aspect I really appreciated here was the theme of history. Part of the reason why I'm drawn to the genre is that I often pick up on new information that leads to more research, which definitely happened here. Much like many moments aside from the major events that are constantly taught in schools when it comes to Black American history, I was unfamiliar with the Roanoke Island Freedman's Colony. It was great to have this and many other connecting issues play such a huge role in the story and give these characters even more depth. I found myself constantly wanting to look up more information throughout my read and was grateful for an additional source in the author's note. There's also a few points where characters discuss the concept of oral and written history, which I think is always an extremely important conversation to have - especially when it comes to ownership and authenticity.

Overall, this was such a great read and I'm so happy that my first experience with Little Women felt like looking in a mirror and educated me on some hidden history along the way.

I absolutely loved little women so I knew I had to read this one as well! I enjoyed the newly remixed version of a classic and really enjoyed getting to know the characters

What a fabulous remix of one of my top favorite classic novels!!!

So Many Beginnings tells the tale of sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy - a family born as well as made, during their enslavement. They are now living in the Roanoke Island freedman's colony, and striving to help themselves and their people better themselves and help the colony to survive and thrive. The sisters face all the struggles of growing up: love, illness, finding your voice and purpose in the midst of all this, but they will do it all together.

I absolutely love how Little Women could be turned so seamlessly into a story about freedpeople and their experiences, yet remain so true to the original characters as well. This was a beautiful story of love and struggle that will attract readers of all ages. I only wish there was more!