An important and lovely book for all those who have read (critically or otherwise) the original Little Woman. A nuanced, precise exploration of the immediate years post-slavery and the different avenues of freedom explored by the four Black March sisters.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Little Women. It was the first book to make me cry as a kid, and I love the deep love the whole March family has for each other. When I found out about this remix, I was so excited to read it!
This remix is excellent. The prose is very similar to the original book; it’s beautiful. The bond between the four sisters is just as strong, and each sister feels so well-developed and real. I love that the time period stays the same, but we get to see everything from an entirely different perspective.
I really enjoyed reading this book.

My favorite retelling--er, remix--of this girlhood classic. If Jo ("Joanna") remains the main protagonist, Morrow gives space for the other female characters to be multidimensional and develop their own sense of agency. Readers may be struck how contemporary this story feels, though if you're even a bit knowledgeable about U.S. history, you won't be too surprised.

So Many Beginnings, A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow is an eloquent tribute to both Louisa May Alcott and our neglected black history. Morrow has deftly built her own unique characters patterned after those in Little Women. I have never read such a well-written retelling of a classic, and especially not one that is so important in our times. Morrow excels at presenting a range of feelings and thoughts about what emancipation and freedom truly mean in the context of history that the majority of us have never learned about, while at the same time keeping the story engaging and the plot moving forward.

This is a great stand alone book, and would also be interesting to pair with the Alcott original for engaging and meaningful discussions. I will definitely be getting a copy for my classroom library and recommending it to students, teachers, and others a lot!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, the author and Netgalley for early access to this wonderful story.

A well-written remix of Little Women, featuring four Black March women post-Emancipation, loving each other and building community in the ill-fated Roanoke Island Freedmen's Colony. While each sister mirrors an essential characteristic of her Alcott counterpart, each is a unique creation set in a time and place that we all need to know more about. A fascinating story! Since good historical fiction often prompts readers to explore the history behind the fiction, a full bibliography of the sources she drew upon would've enhanced Bethany Morrow's endnotes. Also, I would've loved one flashback chapter that focused on how the March family achieved their high level of learning and accomplishment during their enslavement.

We'll certainly be purchasing this title for our high school Media Center and recommending it to our ELA and History faculty.

I've not yet had a chance to read this book, but I'll be reviewing it for the Historical Novel Review and then on my website at a much later date (bibliostatic.com). However, I received the ARC through NetGalley, and I have to submit something by today since it will be archived today. I'm putting in an average of 3 stars because I can't submit this review without it.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book!

I enjoyed this book so much, and I think it is a great companion novel to the original Little Women story. I honestly think these would be great read back to book and then having a comparison study of the two books.

I think what I love most about this book is that the book completely reimagines the March family and provides historically accurate information. This book gives the March family new purpose and new skills, and I think this is the book's truth strength. This story could have easily just changed the skin color of the characters, but instead the author really dug into the story and made this story educational, informational, and engaging. I'm so glad I read it!

i'm absolutely in love with this book. little women is the only classic that i've fully enjoyed so i was so excited to see it retold, but with a diverse cast and it did not disappoint. plus, i didn't think i'd finish it on time but i sped through this. 5 stars. full review to come soon ( probably tomorrow after school ). but yes, go read this book and the remixed classics series too ( i had the pleasure of reading an arc of a clash of steel, which i enjoyed and the others are such anticipated reads ).

*insert a lot of unnecessary information here because i need to reach the word count and i don’t have time to finish the full review rn.*

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillans Children’s for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review.

I am hesitant when considering picking up Classics, because so many seem to be so boring or out of touch compared to more modern novels. I reread Little Women as an adult last year, knowing that it is well loved, and found it so slow and the characters so often moralizing in a way I couldn’t identify with, that I struggled through it. A retelling or remix, though, is something I can definitely get behind and this one sounded much more interesting than the original. I found it much better paced, enjoyed the characters more, and was pleasantly surprised at the ways in which the author managed to catch the vibe of the original while still feeling like a whole different story. I didn’t realize it was part of a series of remixes, and I’m definitely excited to pick up the rest of them!

This just didn’t work. It should have. Maybe a modern day retelling would have been more effective. Some things are more interesting set in modern day and this was one of those things..

So Many Beginnings, this historical fiction re-telling is firmly rooted in the power of the history and oppression of words. Packed with family and ambition, Morrow tells the story of four sisters with vastly different dreams. In many ways, So Many Beginnings feels like a slice of life. A moment of transition and change. New hopes and dreams, while still confronting the history and racism.

A recent trend in fiction is to have a rewrite of classic books. Little Women has always been one of my favorite stories. I was overjoyed when I was approved to read So Many Beginnings, a reimagining of the age old story of four sisters. The March clan are living on Roanoke Island after being emancipated. I love how the author gave nods to Little Women, but reworked the story to create fresh new approaches and stories for each sister. I particularly enjoyed Jo and Beth’s versions the best. It’s a compelling read and a good investment for reading, four sister, bound by affection, however far their paths take them.

Thank you to Fierce Reads for the ARC! (contest winner)

Another beautifully done adaptation of a classic novel!

I will admit that Little Women is one of the classic novels that I could never get into. I've tried multiple times to read the novel and it never held my interest. Morrow's version is so much better than the original! The novel focuses on the March sisters who are part of the Freedpeople Colony of Roanoke Island. The base of the story stays true to the original novel, while adding in new and complex layers. I found many of the conversations about the freedpeople and the Civil War to be moving and thought provoking, with many of the topics still relevant to black people in America today. "They're only ever speaking for us, and about us. Rarely with us."

I look forward to reading more of the Classic Remix novels!

This book was an interesting take on an old classic. I liked the translating of the March sisters from Little Women to this version. I did however find the writing was a little flat in some sections and I found myself skimming instead of reading.

How much do I love this book? Let me count the ways: So Many Beginnings is arguably a better book than Little Women. Set in a freedperson's colony in Roanoke, the story follows the March sisters, who have begun building their home after their liberation from slavery. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy face the troubles and changes of their lives with the help of their mother and their own strong sisterhood. Meg teaches other freed people to read, despite her own traumas and the patronizing attitude of white missionaries who are ostensibly there to help. Jo kept silent to keep from screaming, and as a writer navigates her own skill and the bigoted expectations of too many publishers. Beth is a talented seamstress with a perplexing illness. Amy loves to dance, and though she feels grown up, understands why her family want to let her be young as long as she can. These sisters face their trials with more grace, humor, and strength than the originals, and the look into the settlements of free Black people from their perspective is both fascinating and needed.
Spoilers:
Beth lives, Jo and Laurie stay together, and Amy becomes a successful dance teacher.

This was unputdownable - in part because of nostalgia, and in part because of the incredible writing Bethany C. Morrow has done with this book. I meant to read a chapter or two of So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix and ended up reading the book in one sitting.
It has all the charm and family solidarity of the original but it is also an incredible dissection of life for a formerly enslaved family and it does not pull any punches. Morrow's adaptation shows how even after emancipation, the March family has to navigate how society puts more weight on white opinions than on the lived experiences and skills Black individuals have - Meg isn't allowed to teach with the missionary teachers, even though she's highly educated; Jo becomes a writer when none of the white reporters feel the need to interview anyone Black to draw their own conclusions; Beth's illness is one that white physicians decide is imaginary because they can't identify its cause. Readers of Little Women will find all the plot beats from the classic but through the eyes of the March family in the first few years of their freedom.
That this story follows the arc of an existing book so closely while also standing completely alone is an impressive feat of writing, and one that makes me incredibly excited for the rest of the Remixed Classics coming out in the next few years!

In 'So Many Beginnings,' Bethany C. Morrow is returning to the classics. The book comes as part of Feiwel & Friends’ remixed classics series. So Many Beginnings remixes Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. The year is 1863, in North Carolina. While the civil war carries on, the Freedpeople’s Colony of Roanoke Island begins to grow. It offers a haven for those recently freed from enslavement, offering Black people a community they create. Among them is the March family – Mammy and her four daughters Meg, Joanna (Jo), Bethlehem (Beth), and Amethyst (Amy). As they adjust to their new life, they finally have the chance to grow into their independence. Though they grapple with the echoes of the “old life,” they also experience love, heartbreak, health struggles, and fall into their new life together.

A quality I appreciated about Morrow’s writing is her decision to write as though this book is from the days of yore. Her writing style wholly embodies the trademark of many classics. This alone is enough to draw readers in. Her lyrical style creates an alluring type of yearning. Though she utilizes a similar style, she updates her language in a significant way; she replaces terms such as “slave,” “slave owner,” and “master” with “enslaved” and “enslaver.” She reminds readers of the humanity belonging to those who were enslaved. She reiterates the importance of shifting the language. Morrow also does a wonderful job moving through each sister’s life, and through time. Her technique is seamless. No transition is abrupt or unexpected. It feels like a true journey.

At the heart of 'So Many Beginnings' are the March sisters. Meg, the eldest, longs for a simple life. She wishes to be married and raise a family of her own. Jo excels at writing. Her words demand attention as she gives a voice to the voiceless. Beth is a gifted seamstress searching for her greater purpose. Amy, the youngest March, dances, a perfect fit for her energetic demeanor. Each of the sisters’ personalities shine. Morrow takes the time to paint a picture of each girl. They work as one unit but aren’t without their independence. Readers see how the sum of their parts forms a beautiful whole. The sisters deeply value their bond. Like any siblings, they face some level of conflict. Regardless, their sisterhood remains solid. Morrow provides it the attention and care it so rightly deserves.

Most notably, though, is how Morrow approaches the lasting impact of enslavement. Throughout, the family remembers their experience. However, she focuses more on emotional impact. Their experience doesn’t define them. But it prompts them to strive for a life they deserve. They carry on but never forget. More important still is that Morrow designs a safe reading experience. Readers don’t have to feel the brunt of the Marches’ trauma to recognize it exists. It doesn’t overwhelm the story in any capacity.

'So Many Beginnings' is an instant classic. It wraps readers into a warm, comforting hug. Readers will want to live in it forever. Fans of Little Women will find a new classic to adore with Morrow’s remix. It’s abundantly clear that she understands every facet of the story she recounts. The book also holds similar elements to the original while easily standing on its own. Characters such as Mammy and Lorie only add to the story. Morrow crafts a tender story, and sincerity inhabits every page. Despite the pain of their old life, the Marches’ story provides hope and joy. So Many Beginnings is nothing short of a celebration.

This was amazing.
This book has beautifully drawn characters and repurposes the beloved story of Little Women to tell an entirely different story of the same time period, and in such a way that the reader clearly sees the work that still needs to be done in today’s world.

Ordinarily, I’d be disappointed to see certain things about the original story changed, but I can’t even be mad. A beloved character of mine is not present, but the direction the story makes me not even care.

An excellent read!

I loved this retelling so much. The original was a bit bland in my opinion but this book made the sisters a lot more likable and reasonable in their personal conflicts. I really appreciated the Antebellum era political conversations in the book that grounded the story and added a wealth of meaning and history to what I considered was a rather vapid original text. Amazing stuff!

It took me a while to get into So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix, but ultimately I really enjoyed it. I think, if I hadn't compared it so much to the original story or the cast of characters, I would've liked it a lot more. I found So Many Beginnings to be compelling, and heartwarming, while being incredibly important and potent. While the Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are all fascinating characters in So Many Beginnings, I was quite hung up on the differences between them and the original story. I also felt like So Many Beginnings was very, very short, and would've loved to see more from the sisters. Because of the short length, I also felt all romantic relationships felt very underdeveloped. That being said, I ultimately really did enjoy So Many Beginnings in its remixed form, and believe it's a must read for any and all Little Women fans!