Giving life to The Other March Sisters, we get to see more of Amy, Meg, and Beth.

Through four parts, Amy, Meg, Beth and back to Amy, we get to learn more about the three sisters and journey with them through their lives while Jo is away in New York.

With themes including motherhood, love, queer identities, chronic illness, and ambition, the audience gets to explore topics that even still can be considered taboo.

Thanks to NetGalley, Publisher, and Authors for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the idea of this book, unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. I did enjoy Beth’s storyline and I loved Uncle Edward.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

Novel written by several authors: Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker.
The story in this book is based on Louisa May Alcott's books but also on letters between Louisa and the sisters, and it is about who Amy, Meg, and Beth are and what they do when Jo does not describe them.
In short, a novel where Amy, Meg, and Beth are main characters.
The book is divided into four parts: Amy, Meg, Beth, and Amy again in the last part.
Jo is in New York trying to break through as a writer; Amy is in Europe because she wants to be an artist; Meg is at home with the twins; and Beth is at home with her parents.
Each character is presented in a different light, as are the relationships with others.
Amy shows tremendous sensitivity and intelligence, and with her, we shed light on “queerism” in some of the characters in the story. Lurie is in this part; he shows a couple of times.
Meg is described with a very determined personality and also clear opinions: she realizes her conflicted relationship with her mother and that she is in an unhappy marriage.
Beth, on the other hand, has the shorter part, but the decidedly almost more unedited one.
The author who wrote Beth's part writes that she was much more inspired by the letters of Louisa May Alcott's sister than solely by the Beth we are used to.
So. If you consider the story as integrated into Little Women, then there are some not inconsiderable “adjustments,” for example, Laurie's story, Beth's story, but especially Marmee's character. If you consider this story as a kind of fanfiction, okay, I have three authors telling me their version of events. I personally considered it in the second version, and they did not overlap at all with the story I know.
Instead, the aspect that I didn't like so much and came out in the final acknowledgments is that the book is not fan to fan; not all the authors knew Little Women and had to document themselves to write the book. And by documenting themselves, they turned Amy, Meg, and Beth into the sisters, the real ones of Louisa May Alcott. Why not write a story about them instead?
Finally, on a negative note, there are a couple of concepts that are repeated over and over again. A couple of times is already too much.

This is a deeply imaginative reimagining of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, giving long-overdue voices to Meg, Beth, and Amy March. The novel offers a fresh, modern take on these beloved characters, stepping out of the long shadow cast by Jo March, the original novel's central figure and Alcott’s own alter-ego. By excluding Jo from the narrative, the authors shift the spotlight onto the other three sisters, transforming them from supporting roles to vibrant, independent characters, each grappling with their own struggles and desires.

The result is a beautiful and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of queer love, motherhood, artistic ambition, chronic illness, and societal expectations.

One of the greatest strengths of The Other March Sisters is how it reclaims these women as more than the stereotypes often assigned to them in Little Women. Meg, typically portrayed as the quintessential domestic figure, is given a more complex and nuanced arc as she confronts the dissatisfaction of her married life. Struggling with unfulfilled dreams and the suffocating expectations of womanhood, Meg’s journey into gardening—a symbol of her quiet rebellion and path to self-discovery—feels poignant. This portrayal of Meg reflects modern concerns about motherhood and personal fulfillment, challenging the notion that domesticity alone can satisfy a woman’s ambitions.

Beth, often relegated to a tragic symbol of purity and goodness, is given a story that allows her to live, rather than simply die. The authors handle Beth’s terminal illness with sensitivity, showing how, even in the face of death, she yearns for moments of freedom and joy. Her connection with a new acquaintance, leading to unexpected and tender moments of love, gives her character a depth that was missing in the original novel. The exploration of queer love in Beth’s storyline is both touching and powerful, adding layers to a character who, in the original, was defined by her inevitable demise.

Amy’s transformation is perhaps the most radical, as she steps away from the “elegant, frivolous” girl many readers remember. Here, Amy is an ambitious artist struggling to balance her desire for personal fulfillment with her family’s expectations. Her journey through Europe is not just about finding a rich husband, but about discovering her own worth as an artist and a woman. Amy’s evolution into a more complex, self-aware character, torn between duty and passion, brings new meaning to her original story. Her quest for authenticity, both in her art and in her relationships, is handled with grace and a keen understanding of the pressures that women faced in the 19th century—and still face today.

By leaving Jo “off the page,” the authors of The Other March Sisters achieve something truly remarkable. Without Jo’s voice dominating the narrative, Meg, Beth, and Amy emerge as fully realized individuals with their own unique experiences, thoughts, and dreams. Using private correspondence, conversations, and intimate moments gives readers a deeper look into their hearts, allowing these women to speak for themselves in ways that feel organic and deeply personal.

For someone who enjoyed the original Little Women, this book was a remarkable new look at the story. The authors stay true to the essence of Little Women while offering fresh perspectives that resonate with contemporary readers.

I love these kind of stories that fill in the blanks of characters we only see the surface of in famous novels. I loved, Little Women," but reading ,"The Other March Sisters," brings Amy, Meg and Beth more to life. A more understanding of the characters we love. I love that I get to see Amy truly come into herself and decided if she was going to be just someone wife or if she was going to be an artist. I love that I was able to see the possibilities that Amy had other relatives that help her explore not only Europe but also what she wanted in life, and how exploring European museums help her understand what she wanted to paint. I also love seeing how her relationship with both Fred and Laurie developed and how she made the decision between the two and it was a choice between love and obligation.
I like how the story brings Meg from the responsible sister who took care of everyone, to someone who wanted to be seen for herself and to do the things that make her happy. I love that the story made her an herbalist and that she not only loves being an herbalist but is able to help others. I also love that Meg was aware that when she married John she wasn't in love with him and she felt that her mother kind of force her into the marriage which lends an interesting twist to all the happy women in the family, But as the story progress, Meg and John do fall in love and it's a deeper love because it comes from admiring each other and understanding each other better. I also like that John not only admires Meg for what she's doing with herbs but backs her up when others try to belittle what she does. Its a great comfort to think they have each others back.
Finally, the sister I wondered about the most and who had the greatest impact, I think, in Little Women, Beth. We know she is the kindest sister but that's all we get, and in this story not only does she get a life that makes us cheer for her but she gets to have a relationship too, that warms her life. This story give her a talent like her sister that we only see a glimpse of in "Little Women," but we find out that she is a gifted musician and that she can teach others how to play, and it makes me happy to know she was more than a dying young woman. I like that the story delves into how peoples influences can alter are reality and makes us believe if we can of can't do something, and how a brief encounter with an extraordinary young woman changes that. It's the kind of friendship that is real and made Beth happy, and it made me happy that she gets to experience it.
I really wanted to read this book and had to wait awhile to get to and it was worth the wait. Bravo

I want to thank Kensington Publishing | Kensington and NetGalley for an advance copy of a story about characters we know but get to know even better.

I've been sitting on this for days trying to figure out how to write a review for this book that will do it justice, and I really don't think I can. Probably my favourite read this year and I can't wait for next February when I can have a copy on my shelf that I can revisit as often as I do the source material 🥹

The nostalgia hit heavy with this book. I was not sure exactly what to expect. The description stated that this would be from the perspectives of the other March sisters from the classic “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott. The original book was told through Jo, who had firm opinions of her family and sisters and strong convictions about the world. Growing up, this movie was a staple in our house, and I don’t think I ever realized as a kid how skewed the perspective was in Jo’s favor. Watching and reading it as an adult, it is very evident, which made this book more appealing to me.

As interesting as this book was from the perspective it was written, it fell rather flat for me. Each sister had her own coming-of-age story in her way. All three were burdened with their version of an existential crisis put on them by their mother. I wonder if I would have appreciated their struggles as much if I had never seen the original movie or read the original book. My biggest issue is the storyline or lack thereof. As much as the book's themes maintain themselves throughout, no storyline connects the three sisters or comes to any kind of conclusion for the reader at the end of the book. I also feel like we are missing a piece in the book from Jo herself. As much as I appreciate giving the other sisters their time to shine it would have been nice to at least been given a snippet from Jo and not just have the rest of the family talk about her. Writing from the perspective of one character welcomingly leaves much open to the imagination for the reader. Leaving out one perspective entirely can make a story feel very incomplete.

I genuinely love revisiting these characters close to 30 years after first being introduced to them. While reading I could see the actors and actresses from the original film and hear their voices, see their outfits, and visualize the house they grew up in that was referenced quite a bit and where Beth still lived during this book. The amount of research done by these authors from the original book is very admirable and seemingly a labor of love. I wonder what this book would be like had it been read in tandem with the original?

As someone who loves Little Women a bit too much, I was a bit nervous before starting the book, as I was worried that this might not add much to the already brilliant book. More importantly, I was worried that the writers would not be able to do justice to the characters and portray them in a way that makes them feel like themselves while also adding some additional richness and depth to their characters. But this book proved me wrong; I loved it from the start till the end. I liked the understanding and portrayal of all three of them in very different ways. The problems that they all dealt with made sense while considering the socio-cultural context of the time, and I really liked the way that the writers treated these issues. The inclusion of feminist elements in the book made the characters feel even more fleshed-out and real. I could not help but compare it with Anne with An E, an Anne of Green Gables adaptation that a vast majority of the fandom refuses to acknowledge as an adaptation because, in their words, it is too "woke." But some people like me and others admire it and cherish Anne with An E as an adaptation that shows what the original novel was not allowed to display. Similarly, this book is a great reimagining and retelling of the familiar and loved tale.

I have strong, strong feelings about Little Women. It's my comfort book, the one I turn to for rereading, and has been since my childhood when I received an abridged copy on Christmas Eve. I own close to thirty copies with all the pretty covers I find.

I'm protective of what other books I read regarding Little Women because I don't want anything to ruin the experience for me. (looking at you, 2018 modern movie adaptation) So far - I've limited myself to Marmee and now The Other March Sisters.

It wasn't until GG's Little Women that I ever actually found myself empathizing and truly understanding Amy March. When I learned of this book, I was intrigued and wanted to read it. I was very fortunate and received an ARC from NetGalley.

With sections from Beth, Amy, & Meg, we get to see a different side of the Little Women as they grow. We spend time in DoveCote with Meg and learn of her discontent at being pigeonholed in the role of wife and mother. We spend time in Europe with Amy and learn of the burden being married rich places upon her. And we get a glimpse of Beth being more than just sweet, sick Beth.

Jo's relegated strictly to a few mentions and we hear nothing of Professor Bhaer. Instead we see the familiar background characters of Little Women fleshed out and come to life.

Beautifully written, I was sad to see it end.

Thanks to NetGalley, Publisher, and Authors for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had to read Little women before reading this book. And I'm glad I did because this is a perfect companion piece!

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.