This was an interesting book that followed the lives of the other March sisters. I have to confess I haven’t read Little Women before so I wasn’t as invested in this book as I could’ve. However I still really enjoyed reading.

I was really excited to read and review “The Other March Sisters;” Little Women is one of my favorite books and the 2019 movie is my comfort movie. However, I was left severely disappointed once I started the book, and more so once I got to Meg and Beth’s chapters. I want to preference by saying I do not enjoy leaving negative reviews. Most of the time, my reviews are very positive—if I’m enjoying a book, even if it’s not the best book in the world, its honestly a high star rating since I had such a good time. That’s not the case with this book, unfortunately.
I could not accept Marmee as a villain. It was completely out of place, contradicting, and SO out of character.
- It did not make sense to me that Marmee pushed Meg to marry John Brooke so that she would be unsatisfied and in a loveless marriage, just so that she could trap Meg and have her constantly run back to her. If she married someone rich like Ned, she would never need Marmee. WHAT! Also, in Amy’s POV, she constantly talks about how her parents are pushing her to make a match with a rich man so that she can save her family from poverty. If that were Marmee’s actual intentions, why on earth would she wait until the LAST daughter to save the family from poverty? Especially when all of Meg’s suitors before John were RICH.
- At one point in Meg’s POV it is written “Her mother may have done important work for their community, but inside the grounds of Orchard House, Meg knew Marmee live by the realities of the world rather than her hopes for it, and that extended to her daughters.” That statement is SO contradictive, seeing as both Jo and Amy are pursuing their own careers and clearly Marmee had no problem with it. Knowing Marmee’s background in suffrage, it was almost insulting to her as a character to change so much. To have her present herself in society fighting for woman’s suffrage but behind closed doors raise her daughters by the “realities of the world” is SO disappointing. If they had made these changes to Mr. March the story would have been more believable and easier to stomach.
- “A sweet disposition meant a better match. It meant less of a chance of a man’s anger falling on you, no matter how good a man he might be.” Why did this not extend to Jo? Jo is constantly referred to as brash in this book, so why did Marmee’s “sweet disposition” upbringing only stop at Meg and not Jo?
I honestly could just go on about Marmee but for the sake of time and length, I obviously won’t. I love the idea of the other sisters having their own voice and own story, especially Amy (who is my favorite sister). Before reading this book, I was expecting a more accurate retelling of their stories but just through their POVs with some tweaks, and did not expect so much change in their characters (Marmee obviously). I found out about this book through one of the author’s posts on Threads and it was marketed as a “Little Women retelling for people who wish it were more queer.” I just expected that queer retelling to be more about Jo but she was rarely mentioned in the book. However I’m not disappointed over Beth and Laurie!!
Overall, I hate to leave negative reviews but I was really upset with this book. I’m glad to see that there are a lot of other positive reviews and that many people did enjoy it!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

I love the book Little Women and have been to Louisa May Alcott's childhood home, Orchard House, several times. I also have read the Geraldine Brooks book, March, which focuses on Mr. March. So, I was thrilled I could read this and I am still trying to figure out if I liked it or loved it. I feel the authors must have seen Greta Gerwig's movie version of Little Women and the impassioned speech by Amy may have served as the springboard for this book. The Other March Sisters delves into the extended lives of Amy, Meg, and Beth. It is definitely a feminist view of the world and there is a wonderful LBGTQ+ version of the story for some of the characters. I couldn't put it down but I admit that I did ask myself if we needed this version of Little Women. It makes me happy that it exists for some who might need it but I also wonder what Louisa May Alcott might think of it. I am giving it 4 stars are there are no half starts - it really would be a 3 1/2 star book for me.

This was a really sweet story exploring the lives of Meg, Amy & Beth (the other March sisters)

I thought each story was incredibly sweet, I love the original so much and this just added to their stories. I loved how each sister finally got a bit more voice, a bit more narrative and personality. Beautifully written!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honestly review

One of the first books I ever received when I was a small girl that was just for me was Alcott's Little Women, a book I loved so much as a kid, and still do. I love the movies, I love these characters, and their stories. So, I loved the idea of a book told from the perspective of each of the other sisters. No question that Little Women is very Jo centered. The Other March sisters devotes time to tell a story of each of the other sisters, with Amy's story framing the book.

On the whole, I really liked this book a lot. I love the idea of looking at the other sisters, and having Jo be an off-screen character. This isn't Jo telling us about her sisters, it's the sisters telling us about themselves.

My favorite story by far was Meg's. She's not as happily married as Jo would have us believe. Marmee isn't the support system we've been led to believe. (Actually Marmee is quite manipulative and nasty in much of this book, despite her causes of working for women's causes.) When Meg has a rift from Marmee, she takes some rose cuttings to plant in her own garden. And she discovers her garden contains a lot of potential to help other women in her area. Meg uses her garden to become a necessary healer to the women in her small Concord community.

Beth's story is the one I liked least. I found her a bit too much of a doormat and whiny. Yes the story is that she finds her voice, that there is this Other Beth who is angry, who isn't whiny. But I felt it took too long to get to that Beth in this story. I also found her love story not to be as believable to me, and it felt a bit like a distraction to me, that she only found her voice because of the love interest, instead of because of her own inner strength.

What I appreciated about Amy's story is that I think she's redeemed from being such a petulant, whiny brat that frankly is her lot in Little Women.

However, I did have one problem with the book, which can be viewed at Goodreads behind the spoiler tag.

Having said that, I loved the idea of this book, and hearing the voices of the other sisters. I was a bit surprised at how Marmee comes across in this book, but on the whole, I think this is a terrific book for those who love Little Women as much as I do.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Other March Sisters by Linda Epstein. We have all heard or read the story of Little Women by Louisa Alcott, this book tells us what happened to the rest of the March Sisters. In this imaginative historical story, we read about what happened to Meg, Beth, and Amy March while Jo is in New York. This book was an interesting read and story about what the rest of the March sisters were thinking and doing while Jo was in New York writing.

The Other March Sisters by is a captivating reimagining of Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic, Little Women. In this novel, Cantor explores a fresh perspective by focusing on the lives of the lesser-known March sisters—Amy and Beth—by imagining a world where they face alternate fates. The book skillfully intertwines historical events with personal struggles, offering readers a deeper understanding of the characters' internal lives and motivations. Cantor’s prose is both poignant and evocative, making this a must-read for fans of Little Women who are eager to see familiar characters in a new light. The story’s rich emotional depth and creative reworking of familiar themes provide a compelling and satisfying experience.

There is something about Louisa May Alcott's Little Women that continues to invite interpretations and reinterpretations of her main characters: Marmee and her daughters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Perhaps it is because the times themselves could not lend themselves toward fully-developed characterization without reducing their very clear personality traits back into the traditional lines of the 1800s. Geraldine Brooks' version, March, developed the relationship of Marmee and her husband. This version develops the daughters into far more interesting and modern-thinking grown women. It's a natural progression from the (somewhat condescending) "Little Women" of childhood to the deep emotional complexities of adult womanhood during a time when women couldn't publish much of the things that went through their hearts, minds and experiences.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt that it was well-written.

Meg, in Little Women, is depicted as happily married and popping out little bundles of joy with her impoverished husband. These writers allow her to experience the frustrations of a husband with economic control, mourn the loss of moving in more stylish social circles, and seek out an occupation for herself. This version allows her to tend her garden for medicinal purposes, not only healing her family members, but also providing women with herbal contraceptive. I also appreciated how, along the way, Meg's relationship with Marmee is not depicted as rosy as it is in the book. Rather, Marmee's controlling behavior with Meg backfires as Meg discovers her own way, supported by a loving partner.

There are a few gaps to this depiction. Firstly, it's very risky for Meg to suddenly believe herself a doctor after only a few months and capable of treating a woman who had a spotty birth history. How is she to know whether her friend would hemmorhage or worst things happen? While I appreciated the moment of female solidarity, I also felt that it was a bit irresponsible of Meg. I also thought it was quite contradictory and hypocritical of Marmee, a woman so invested in suffrage, to be so against Meg providing herbal remedies for women, including contraceptives. While this may have been her protective nature, she could have also realized that she raised a woman who cares for other women--the exact point of suffrage. But then again, isn't life sometimes contradictory and hypocritical? This is the reality of how it must have been back then considering all of the lack of education afforded to women at the time.

Beth's story is both sad and also imaginative. It's not hard to imagine Beth as becoming frustrated with her one-sided depiction as the "House Angel." I very much enjoyed how this was fleshed out. I was highly disturbed at the idea that her own mother and the doctor were feeding her belladonna and literally poisoning her. The details of her hair falling out were grotesque, but perhaps true to the times. Beth's relationship with Florida was both controversial for the 1800s (perhaps not even possible?) but a way of touching upon some aspects of queer identity. I do not recall lesbianism being hinted at in the book or receiving this sort of a reading, but as we already know, Victorian society as most societies did have women who lived together as "companions."

Amy's story took center stage in this book and Jo is left in the background, which is an interesting way of approaching the storyline. In the book, Jo is the one who writes Little Women, but in this book, it's Beth. Two very different stories, and one can imagine Jo telling the story in a way that paints Amy out to be superficial and young while Jo requires maturity in Mr. Bhaer and depth. In this book it's vastly different. Amy is sent to Europe to find a partner, but her love of art (and her contact with significant female artists in the process) inspires her to be her own person and not just "dabble" in art until she can find a husband in Laurie. Her interactions with the male world also seem to depict how women are objectified, left in the dark while men fulfill their needs and desires without such compunctions. Men are predatorial in Amy's story, and Laurie himself is quite a worldly man who is not quite "safe" in terms of being able to provide a monogamous relationship. This, also, carries complexities with it that brings food for thought about what a partnership looks like and what love looks like.

Jo is the only absent sister who doesn't really receive much fleshing out. She is discounted as being self-involved and brash, even jumping to conclusions that Laurie wanted to marry her. Considering how many generations were inspired by Jo as children to become writers (myself included), I missed her and felt a bit of disappointment at her character being painted as far different from how I felt her to be from the original book. But I also have to concede that there was a lot missing from the depiction of Amy and the original book had a clear focus on Jo throughout. A book with a clear focus on the beautiful and society-minded Amy perhaps was long overdue.

Overall, I appreciated how this interpretation wove racial and gender themes, which update the narrative and help us remember that many of our contemporary experiences were still happening in the 1800s, but were voiceless and silenced in Victorian society. And, as the author mentioned, aspects of Alcott's own family members who were the original inspiration for the book also perhaps can feed into more round characters, developing the original fiction into another sort of fiction. I've never taken offense at rewritings of Little Women, but anyone expecting this book to stick faithfully to the original text will definitely be disappointed. There is a LOT about sapphic and queer relationships in this book as well, in case those attached to classically heterosexual ideas about Little Women prefer to steer clear of these topics. I found them relevant and could very much imagine these sorts of relationships being far more common than depicted in 1800s texts.

I really wanted to love this book. I’m a huge fan of Little Women and I cannot wait for this book, but it left me disappointed.
I’m sorry but I cannot accept Marmee as a villain. She’s a kind soul, not a manipulative b*tch. She’s a guidance, not an oppressive figure. It’s not fair for her. And she’s a lot incoherent in this book because she stopped Meg to marry the rich Ned Moffat because she wanted Meg to be the wife of a good man (John Brooke), but she wanted Amy to marry rich. Wtf?? Really, wtf??
And I hated that they erase Laurie’s crush for Jo. I’m a huge Amy and Laurie shipper, but it’s not erasing part of their story is not the way to make people ship Amy and Laurie.
The storylines are not bad, but not that good either. And the storylines are like block. There is not a unique story.
However I appreciate the queerness in the book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I was hesitant about this book- Little Women is one of my most treasured books and Jo is my literary hero, so a book based on the premise that she is too overbearing and overshadowed the real story of her story made me nervous. I needn’t have worried, I loved this book. It tells the next part of Little Women from the other three sisters point of view. Meg realizes that being a young wife and mother might not be the end goal she imagined. Beth decides she’s more than just the sweet sister stuck at home, and Amy rethinks her role as the sister who should marry well to advance her familiy’s fortunes. I loved that this story addressed some of the decisions in Little Women that always disappointed me- Meg marrying the disgusting John Brooks and Laurie choosing Amy instead of Jo- and made me feel better about them. Making Marmee a terrible person was a bold choice but I can live with it.

4.5☆
Having read "little women" quite recently, I wouldn't have thought that this unique take on Meg, Amy, Beth and even Laurie was everything I ever needed to conclude the main story. It was easy to breeze through this book, thanks to the fact that it has short chapters, and while the story has a playful air, it discusses current topics such as feminism, misogyny, abortion, trauma, family expectations, motherhood, and finding one's sexuality.
This novel takes us through the eyes of Meg, struggling with her new, married life and trying to find herself in the process, Amy which feels the expectations of her family to marry someone rich but still wanting to pursue an artistic career and Beth who's trying to stop being defined by the labels her family assigned her.

In the end, all three women come to the conclusion that being authentic is the one quality that guarantees a fulfilling and happy life:
Meg, while unearthing a different, more demanding side of her mother, is able to stand her ground and transform her love for gardening in a useful and profitable tool, having alongside her the support of her friends and even her husband.
Amy, grown now in a mature, patient and dedicated woman, navigates society by adhering to the rules and finding comfort in them. While her beauty is a trademark noticed by everyone, she acknowledges that life has more to give her than an advantageous marriage, and chooses to follow her heart.
Beth, though influenced greatly by her illness is facing her fears and is finding out that a stranger understands and sees more of her than her family ever did. Bit by bit she learns to believe that she is enough and is not defined either by her past or her illness (and that perhaps she's got a little bit of genius in her:])
My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm one of I think two people remaining in the world who have not read Little Women, so there was a lot of this that was probably lost of me. No fault of the author that I'm less than well read as far as the classics go. I thought this was a very well told story. I also think it would have had more impact on me had I read the original.

I loved Little Women as a kid and read and re-read the book many times, saw the films (all of them) as a teenager and as an adult. I was excited and a little trepidatious to read this novel, filling out the stories of Amy, Meg and Beth. A baseless fear.

The three authors give us fresh, feminist takes on the constraints of women during that time. Amy in Europe, balancing her desire to be an artist and the obligation she feels to marry money for the family to shore up their future. Meg, struggling with her twins, her husband and discovering how being a herbalist can afford her and her friends freedom. Beth, aware of her impending death, but showing her steel and that she isn’t a doormat. Certainly the portrayal of Marmee isn’t as a saint, but it felt real and absolutely wasn’t a detraction.

Highly recommended for those who like me love Little Women.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and the authors for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

As a fan of Little Women, I was super excited when I received an advance reader copy of The Other March Sisters and let me tell you- it did not disappoint. This is a must read for all Little Women fans. It was so delightful to read new stories based on the beloved characters of Little Women. I will be rereading this book again asap!

I loved Little Women as a kid and read and re-read the book many times, saw the films (all of them) as a teenager and as an adult. I was excited and a little trepidatious to read this novel, filling out the stories of Amy, Meg and Beth. A baseless fear.

The three authors give us fresh, feminist takes on the constraints of women during that time. Amy in Europe, balancing her desire to be an artist and the obligation she feels to marry money for the family to shore up their future. Meg, struggling with her twins, her husband and discovering how being a herbalist can afford her and her friends freedom. Beth, aware of her impending death, but showing her steel and that she isn’t a doormat. Certainly the portrayal of Marmee isn’t as a saint, but it felt real and absolutely wasn’t a detraction.

Highly recommended for those who like me love Little Women.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and the authors for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Little Women, and also recently read March by Geraldine Brooks, which takes us into Mr. March's POV, so I was thrilled to get the chance to read this one. And there's a lot that work. Taking the "other" sisters away from Jo allows them to more fully explore their own identities and hobbies, mostly to the benefit of the story. I felt like the authors had a firm grasp on each of the sisters and I did enjoy the paths their stories took.

That said, I found that the rewriting (or reimagining) of Marmee and Jo was quite harsh and unfair, particularly in Marmee's case. The original work does hold Jo up for (rightfully deserved) critique. Going even further in this one felt a little unkind and also took away from the spirit of the book and the family. And perhaps I am biased as a mother myself (albeit to younger kids), but I felt like placing the blame for all of the bad things to happen to the girls on Marmee's shoulders - without interrogating the time period and societal expectations - was a cheap shot.

Overall, it's definitely worth the read, despite my misgivings on certain elements. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC. 3.5 stars.

The Other March Sisters is an extraordinary reimagining of a classic story, bringing new life to the beloved characters of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. Written by Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker, this novel explores the untold stories of the March sisters, weaving together a tapestry of emotion, resilience, and sisterhood.

I absolutely love this book! The authors have done a remarkable job of capturing the essence of each character while adding fresh perspectives and layers to their personalities. The narrative is both heartwarming and poignant, offering a deep dive into the lives of the March sisters that feels both familiar and entirely new.

What amazed me most was how seamlessly the authors blended their voices to create a cohesive and compelling story. The emotional depth, the rich character development, and the beautiful prose made this book an unforgettable read. Whether you're a longtime fan of Little Women or new to the story, The Other March Sisters is a must-read that will leave you enchanted and inspired.

Linda Epstein; Ally Malinenko; Liz Parker, The Other March Sisters, Kensington Publishing, February 2025.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Liz Parker, Ally Malinenko, and Linda Epstein have woven a story that rejects the importance that Louise M. Alcott gave to Jo March and the sisters’ mother, Marmee. The authors have used Alcott’s sisters as their inspiration, giving them voices independent of Jo, based on herself. They also take a largely feminist approach, as well as rejecting the heterosexuality given to the sisters and their friend Laurie in the original novel. This is made most apparent in the case of Beth but is also suggested in the newly drawn characters of Jo and Laurie. The freshly honed stories and characterisations therefore have all the elements that, while maintaining a perspective that fits with the period in which Little Women was set, acknowledge the way in which sexism impacted the lives of the little women and their friends. So many aspects of the novel provide a feminist approach to the way the young women and their activities are depicted, and this is to be valued. However, there are also some very disappointingly sexist attitudes on display.

Turning to those first. Unfortunately, in giving Meg, Beth and Amy their own stories, the criticism of Jo and Marmee is overwhelming. Marmee, in particular is given a negative image, fitting so well with the sexist approach to a woman whose background and life experience has impressed upon her the need for at least one of her girls to marry well. As is familiar in Austen’s Bennet household, where Mrs Bennet is desperate to marry her daughters off, because that is what society demands, this necessity is depicted as disagreeable and as the action of Mrs Bennet alone. Although the writers of The Other March Sisters acknowledge Mr March’s role in the family’s impoverishment, it is Marmee who takes the brunt of the criticism for trying to rectify the situation. In addition, Jo’s behaviour is emphasised as being dismissive of her sisters and their aspirations. A more nuanced approach to Meg, Beth and Amy finding their own paths would have sat more comfortably with the feminist ideas this novel attempts to portray.

The strongest parts of the novel are where Meg, Beth and Amy follow their own pursuits successfully. They could have stood alone without reference to Jo or Marmee, and it is worth reading them as such as there are some wonderful examples of the sisters’ interweaving their aspirations with the social demands of the day. Meg and her medicinal garden, Amy and her artistic successes and Beth’s recognition that she can and must have a life beyond the domestic angel role urged upon her because of her physical infirmity raise so many issues outside the bounds imposed upon them by reference to Jo and Marmee. These stories weave independent thought with courageous action, intelligent use of history, and social commentary. It is clear that the March sisters, in this iteration of Little Women, were women of talent and strength. It is this that I take away from the work despite the misgivings I have noted.

-First of all, thanks to the authors for letting me read the ARC of this book.

-I didn't know any of these three authors who joined to write this beautiful retelling. Their writing is beautiful. Each author adds a new perspective to the story we are familiar with.

-I really liked seeing the life of the March sisters from a point of view that is not Jo's. This let you to empathize better with Amy, Meg and Beth. I was happy since we can see a little more beyond one of my favorite characters: Amy March, as well the letters that the sisters sent to each other.

-I liked the representation about Laurie that he came out as bi but he doesn't say anything because it's not accepted.

-But not everything is rosy and what I didn't like was that I felt that Marmee had some negative attitudes towards their daughters, and for me it wasn't as if I was seeing the supportive Marmee.

-Finally, I liked how they addressed the issue of abortion, which they addressed well, and I loved seeing women supporting other women. I recommend this book if you like Little Women.

I loved the concept of this book, diving into the perspectives of the other March sisters. It's a great idea, truly. I did love how Amy's chapters shared more about how Laurie and Amy ended up together. However, overall I found this book rather slow and hard to trudge through many times. It also twists the characters of the original Little Women that I loved and remembered growing up. Marmee is now a controlling, overbearing mother causing conflict with all the daughters. Beth is now a lesbian as she is dying slowly. Meg's love story is flipped around so now she's struggling in a loveless marriage, has postpartum depression, and becomes an herbal healer aiding in abortion (the process was detailed, so trigger warning there). I know these are real women's issues both now and in this time period, however, I found it difficult to readjust my perspective of the original beloved characters.

So, if you are a conservative Christian, this book is likely one you won't enjoy and will rub against your morals and beliefs. If you lean more feminist and liberal, you may find this new perspective interesting.