Little Women is one of those books I read over and over again as a girl. I watched the 1994 adaptation, seeing myself a bit in each of the March sisters, alike and yet not alike in a myriad of ways. Now, as an adult and a mom myself, choosing instead to focus on the role of Marmee seems like a natural progression.
As Sarah Miller’s Caroline is one of my favorite works of historical fiction, I was thrilled to see her take on Margaret March - and I was not disappointed.
This ode to Louisa May Alcott’s matriarch of the March family is beautiful, vivid, and expansive, extending beyond her role as the wife to a Union army chaplain and mother to four daughters. It explores her upbringing, her relationship with her husband, her personal aspirations and shortcomings, and her convictions on slavery, poverty, and prejudice.
I cannot recommend this book enough, especially for those who love Little Women or just historical fiction in general. I will be thinking about it for a long time.

Ahhh, this book! I loved it! We get to visit a much loved, absolute favorite of all times, book, "Little Women" as seen through the March sister's mother, or Marmee as she was know in the original book by Louisa May Alcott.
This book touched my heart and soul, "Little Women" was the first "real" book I ever read. I was 6 years old and have read it countless times since. I never tire of the March girls and their story, so when I saw this book about Marmee, I just had to read it! I am ever so grateful to William Morrow and Net Galley for granting my request. It has not disappointed, this book made me laugh and cry, we get to see Marmee in a totally new light, as a wife and friend, a person with her own likes, dislikes, dreams and ambitions apart from just being Marmee, the mother to the four March sisters and neighbor of Mr. Laurence and Laurie.
I loved this book, it is written beautifully and I recommend it highly to anyone who loved growing up with "Little Women".
Thank you to William Morrow Publishing and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Marmee by Sarah Miller is the Little Women story, mostly identical, from the point of view of Marmee. It was rife with diary entries and thoughts, very few conversations. It was written using the language of the time. It a great many ways it was a terrific book. My biggest issue is that I do not love books in which thoughts are the primary mode for storytelling. I prefer more action. It certainly helped that I have read Little Women countless times. Marmee, in the original book, was a much beloved character, as she was in this one. She was not the main character. In this, she is. We learn much about her background, her feelings, and what motivates her, as well has her love for her family. We learn about the situation that put them in such financial straits in the first place. We see more of her marriage and her relationship with Aunt March. All of this, and more, is a good thing. We do also learn more about the other characters as we see them from a different point of view. The story moved slowly and it was a long book. Well worth the read, however.

I was invited to read a free e=ARC of Marmee by William Morrow, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #WilliamMorrow #SarahMiller #Marmee

Thank you to William Morrow for my copy of Marmee.

Little Women is one of my favorite books and I was intrigued by this retelling of the beloved classic from the perspective of Marmee.

I loved this book! It was such an interesting angle to read based on Marmee's perspective and see Little Women from her view. Marmee is such an important character in Little Women but she is mainly in the background.

The author's note at the end was really helpful too. I loved seeing what she changed and why she chose a few things she did. She based a lot of Marmee on Louisa May Alcott's mother.

If you're a Little Women fan, I highly recommend picking up Marmee. It came out on Tuesday - October 25th.

I lived getting lost in the story of Marmee. She comes to life on the page! An impressive and immeraive story. This is one not to be missed.

A beautiful retelling of the beloved classic Little Women. Little Women has been an all-time favourite of mine and I have read it several times as a child and even in later life. The author does more than proper justice to the characters created by Louisa M Alcott while narrating the story from Marmee's point of view. The original classic focussed more on the girls and did not do full justice to Marmee - a woman of substance and grit in her own right. She definitely deserved her own novel. The beautiful prose and lucid writing makes you fall in love with the story and the characters once again.

Thank you Netgalley, William Morrow and Sarah Miller for the advance copy.

This book was an absolute delight, and is a must-read for Little Women fans. This is essentially the same story, just told from Marmee's point of view. It was interesting to read her take on some of the pivotal moments of the book like the destruction of Jo's manuscript and Beth's death. Marmee also provides multiple insights into the girls' personalities, and the differennt parenting style she utilizes for each child, which I found fascinating.

I loved this book! It covers the time period and the events of Little Women but is told from Marmee's point of view, in the form of her journal entries. I enjoyed getting her insights and feelings about her family and the happenings during those years (Even though Beth's fate somehow felt even more heartbreaking here). It was obviously more of an adult perspective, and she included details about the war (as much as she was able to, following the news from home). It was also interesting to learn more about the family's past and some of the events that occurred before the start of Little Women. Additionally, I enjoyed learning more about Hannah and the Hummels. The ending was sweet and left me happy and satisfied.

I highly recommend this as a companion to Little Women. I feel like this is a 'must read' for anyone who loves that book.

Calling all fans of Little Women!

I don’t know about you, but Little Women is one of my all time favorite books. I tend to reread it in the winter and feel myself relating to each character differently as I get older. So imagine my delight when I saw this book! Devoted to the point of view of Marmee (the mother from the original story), this is an untold point of view that I didn’t feel for enough attention in the original. Thank goodness someone finally wrote from her point of view! At the same time, I feel like books find me at a time when I can most appreciate them. Now that I am a mother myself, a book from Marlee’s point of view is more than welcomed.

For all you Little Women fans out there, this is a must read. If you haven’t read Little Women yet, now you can read both!

Anyone who has read Little Women, whether once or many times, knows exactly who Marmee is. She is the mother of the famous March girls. Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy love her very much and rely upon her, especially while their father is awat as a Civil War chaplain. They also aspire to be like her.

Those who recall the novel with fondness and who would like a slight change of perspective, will enjoy this story that is told from Marmee/Margaret/Peg’s point of view. The story line includes well known events from Alcott’s novel while adding a deeper insight into the woman who was Marmee. I enjoyed spending time with her and seeing her as a more human and less idealized figure. Just one of my favorite quotes from the novel is: “Criticizing others is so often a circuitous way of praising ourselves. ”

This book will be enjoyed by fans of Little Women and historical fiction fans in general. Its use of diary entries brings the reader close to Marmee’s thoughts. Be sure to read the author’s note as well for her perspective.

Many thanks to William Morrow/Mariner and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 4
Plot development: 5
Characters: 5
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 5 out of 5

It’s been popular of the last few years to write stories beyond famous novels’ characters.
Marmee is one of those, attempting to place more emphasis on the character and reveal more Of her personality to readers than Louisa May Alcott.
I anticipated reading this book and Miller does an admirable job in her depiction of a volcano kept in check Marmee, a woman with hidden sorrows and secrets. I do think Miller infused too much Of the real Alcott family into the fictional Marches.
My main complaint is Miller overused creative license to significantly alter several major story lines that any Alcott enthusiast will easily spot, I was not comfortable with those changes. When a project like this is done, it should dovetail the original piece, not deviate so noticeably. The author addresses one or two of the changes at the end, but I still don’t agree.

Marmee Book Review
This book by Sarah Miller retells Little Women from Marmee’s perspective and closely follows the events written by Louisa May Alcott. I love Little Women and wasn’t sure what to expect with a retelling, but I truly enjoyed hearing the story in Marmee’s voice. I did find it to have a slow start, but before long was absorbed in the story. As a mother, I appreciated reading in Marmee’s voice her thoughts as she raised her daughters. Miller added a lot of Civil War and other historical details to the story; it would be interesting to reread it alongside Little Women. And by the end, I also wanted to learn more about the Alcott family!
Thanks to Netgalley and Thoughts From a Page Podcast for the advanced copy!

MARMEE, a beautifully-written retelling of LITTLE WOMEN, by Sarah Miller, is simply marvelous. I am a great fan of Louisa May Alcott’s classic, having read it multiple times as a child and young teen. This new edition, written as a diary and told from the mother’s viewpoint, is the same familiar story. The escapades of the four sisters and the touching scenes of war, abject poverty, and death had me either laughing or crying throughout the book.

The diary begins during the Civil War (1862) and ends in 1868. Sarah Miller has honored the timeless classic while still introducing important issues of that time: women’s health issues, economic matters, and abolitionism. This book also delves into the deeper human topics of love, family, and death.

I loved this trip back in time and the opportunity to visit again with the daughters of Margaret and Amos March: Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth. Marmee is a strong woman, emboldened by a healthy dose of justified anger and is an inspirational figure in the community for her dedication to aiding the less fortunate. It was interesting to note that she seemed focused on finding jobs for the needy, thereby feeding their confidences as well as their stomachs.

It has been many decades since I first read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, but Sarah Miller's Marmee took me back to the wonderful world of the March family and allowed me to revisit the story from a fresh perspective, that of the mother. Marmee opens her heart and mind to the reader via her diary in which she chronicles the challenges and struggles of life. Initially I wondered whether Marmee's solo voice would be able to carry the story and keep my attention, but she did. Marmee feels very human and relatable, for example, as she confesses both her great love for and frustration with her husband as she shoulders the chore of everyday living. And, of course, she shares her worries about her daughters and whether she has, or has not, given them the tools with which to live a life of substance or to manage the changes and choices that face them. Ms. Miller did a great job including historical facts about the Civil War and the legislative aftermath in the story. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Thoughts From a Page Podcast and William Morrow for a digital ARC and Harper Audio for a complimentary audiobook.

As a huge fan of Little Women, I am here for all the retellings. This one is from Marmee’s point of view as told through her journal entries. Sarah Miller sticks very closely to the original book but puts a spin on it by sharing Marmee’s feelings and perspective of the events. Her heart for her daughters and for all those around her shined through and endeared her to me even more than the original.

I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who has loved Little Women.

I loved Caroline, so I was eager to give this novel a go, and I am just not the right reader for it. I have never read or seen Little Women, and I was hoping this could be a good introduction, but no matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t get into this book. I know so many people will love it, but I struggled until I decided to DNF.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4.

This book is historical fiction about the March family and centres on the beloved matriarch, Margaret, affectionately known as Marmee. If you read Little Women, you will be familiar with the daughters of Margaret and Amos March: Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth. The story takes place starting in the 1860’s at the time of the American Civil War and the experience of the March family as they try to make ends meet, with the constant worry of whether Amos will make it back home from his service as clergy in the war. Marmee is a strong woman, with a self proclaimed temper, and is an inspiration in the community with her dedication to helping the less fortunate. Throughout the story there are a couple of little mysteries, such as why the March’s have no money and why Marmee reflects with remorse on something that happened, when her temper may have got the best of her. We get to know Marmee, the little women in the story, and witness their maturation and relationships, their triumph and their tragedy.

Sarah Miller writes beautifully. I haven’t read much historical fiction with the backdrop of the civil war and I liked the immersive experience crafted by the author. This story was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Cindy from Thoughts From A Page patron Early Reads, William Morrow, and Netgalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Little Women has always been one of my favorite books of all time. There have been so many re-tellings from the POV of the daughters but now that I'm older, and a mother, I was so very excited to see a story about Marmee! This book was just as beautiful and emotional as the original, beloved classic. I am so thankful for the chance to read this ARC. I also think the cover is very lovely! I can't wait for this book to be out in the world so I can talk about it with everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own!

Sarah Miller’s Marmee retells Little Women from the perspective of the four girls’ mother, Margaret March known to them as Marmee. Using a journal/diary format, the book follows the same events and timeline as the original book, however since an adult is the narrator some events that occupy a lot of space in the original story get little more than a passing reference here and vice versa. Most notable to me were Marmee’s reflections on her husband’s absence, his lack of understanding finances and how that impacts his family, the realities of the Civil War and how it was affecting those left at home, and the time she spends helping others. The novel traces Marmee’s own personal growth, as Alcott’s novel does for the March girls, and is at its strongest when revealing her struggles with loneliness while her husband is absent, her sadness at the war’s horrific impact on civilians, and her profound grief when she loses a daughter. I had tears in my eyes at the end. I also thought it was interesting that Miller weaves in some of Alcott’s personal history to fill in some gaps in Little Women. She has an in-depth Author’s Note which talks about the book and what she included and didn’t include. Marmee is a beautiful book that can be read as a standalone or as a companion to Little Women.

My Patreon group for my podcast read this one as our October early read and author chat and Sarah was a huge hit with the group.