The Other March Sisters invites readers to a world familiar and yet new. The characters you may remember have fresh depth and motivation.
With a modern twist, the author gives you something new to love about this classic.

Well this one had me sobbing in my bathtub because I finished it when I was trying to have a relaxing soak, but no, big emotions. Puffy eyes and lots of tears. But also completely worth it.

Like generations of women before me, I grew up with Little Women. It's the first book I ever cried over, it was something I bonded with my mom over reading both the book as well as watching many versions of the movie, and it remains a touchstone in one of my lifelong friendships. Which March sister are you is a valid question when meeting people. I've read Little Men and Jo's Boys, as well as Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs. I was the audience for this book.

And what a story, taking the remaining three sisters in new directions with a more contemporary lens of what their lives truly could've been like. Expanding Meg from a mother into a gardener, into a woman who supports women in more ways than demanding suffrage, and who gets to fall in love in a time when love marriages weren't the norm. Amy and all of her experiences with courting, with her complicated feelings for Laurie and the gentle loss of her naivete around him and his lifestyle, of her having a great understanding for Jo than Jo probably had of herself yet. And Beth...a weakened body and a sharp mind, a great talent and a loving heart, who is at once aware of her limitations and feels trapped by them, and who is also constantly dealing with the trauma of the Hummels and her illness and is utterly alone inside that nightmare...but her story is also the sweetest, the happiest, when she finds a true connection outside of her family, and we hope that she got to experience these big important emotions before she's lost.

Yeah, you're going to cry. Almost all of these stories have a hint of queerness, if not an outright mentioning and accepting of queer identity. Queer people have always been here, and to have the truth of their existence in this beloved world felt absolutely right.

The Other March Sisters is a reimagining of Louisa May Alcott's classic Little Women, focusing on the narrative of Beth, Meg and Amy March. It offers a fresh perspective by delving into the lives and aspirations of the three sisters who often stood in the shadow of Jo.

Meg is a woman grappling with the confines of domestic life and societal expectations. Her journey reflects the tension between personal desires and familial duties.

Beth is exploring her inner world and the challenges she faces due to her chronic illness. Her story is one of resilience and the pursuit of meaning against adversity.

Amy is a determined artist striving to carve out her own identify. Her story addresses artistic ambition, societal constraints, and personal growth. It also explores her relationship with Laurie.

If you loved Little Women you may appreciate the fresh perspectives and the depth given to characters who were less prominent in the original book.

The Other March Sister offers an interesting twist on the beloved Little Women story, focusing on a lesser-explored perspective. Retellings are always tricky, but this one delivers an easy, entertaining read with a modern flair. While the story is engaging and well-paced, die-hard fans of the original classic might find some creative liberties hard to embrace. Still, it’s a fun and refreshing take for those open to seeing the March sisters in a new light.

The Other March Sisters by Linda Epstein; Ally Malinenko and Liz Parker was a creative take on the stories of the other March sisters, Amy, Beth and Meg. In this book, the authors give the three sisters a fresh feminist perspective and giving the readers a fresh take on the other sisters. Each sister’s journey is unique and not completely different from the one provided by Jo in Little Women. We have Meg who marries John Brooks but the reason for and reality of doing so is discussed. Amy goes to Europe, although not with Aunt March but instead different relatives and we see glimpses of Theodore Lawrence and learn his perspective of what happened with Jo. With Beth who loves music and was weakened by scarlet fever, we learn how it feels to be the sister left behind.

Would recommend this book for any fans of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Thank you to the publisher Kensington Publishing, NetGalley and the authors for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Growing up less than an hour from the Little Women house, I have always known “Little Women”: From Louisa May Alcott’s book to Winona Ryder’s Jo, to Florence Pugh’s Amy. So I was excited to read this book, giving voice to the lesser explored March sisters while Little Women carries the voice of sister Jo.

The other March Sisters gives Meg, Beth, and Amy a voice, expanding on their stories using the outline of Little Women. My chief concern being that it relies heavily on the reader’s memory of Alcott’s novel (which honestly has been 25+ years since I’d read it), so highly recommend a refresher… it is not quite stand alone. On the other hand, the expanded narrative for each of the sisters is an interesting perspective that explores familial dynamics and sisterly bonds, as well as exploring the reality from which Ms Alcott drew her original story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! I am obsessed with all things March sisters! The cover is super cute and the story was excellent from beginning to end. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author!

"I’m sure you believe you know their story from reading that other book, which told you an inspiring tale about four sisters. It told you a story, but did it tell you the story?"

Little Women is one of my favourite classic novels from my own childhood. I loved this story about sisterhood and what it meant to grow up and be a strong, self-assured, independent woman. I have always loved Jo's story, and related to her deeply, as a person who loves books and would love to be a writer someday. The Other March Sisters by Linda Epstein, Ally Malieneko and Liz Parker is a retelling of this beloved classic from the point of view from the other sisters. The reader gets to experience the stories of Amy, Meg, and Beth from their own perspective.

I enjoyed The Other Marsh sisters immensely! The elements of Little Women remain just enough that it feels deeply connected to the original. There is still an inherent love of Jo, but it is felt through the female experiences of her sisters. Through this story, I felt more connected to my own sister and resonated deeply with all of the sisters feelings of responsibility for themselves, and for their family; the responsibility that society puts on woman to be a certain way. I really felt connected to their experience with their mother, as in the original story Marmee felt superhuman, and nurturing but through this story she felt real, and the complicated relationships between mother and daughter felt even more real. Each story was relatable, as a woman, and even in short sections, each of the sister's character, thoughts, perceptions and feelings deepened my understanding of them.

The Other March Sisters is a must read for any fan of Little Women!

I wanted to enjoy this but it really just messed with my head and sort of tainted my memory of Little Women.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about seeing Little Women through the eyes of the sisters, but it was a lot of fun! The authors did a really good job of hitting the right mood and dialogue, and giving a side of the story we missed by seeing it through Jo’s eyes!

This was an enjoyable read. One could tell that Epstein had lived with these characters for a long time and was excited to add to their stories. I have read a lot of reimaginings of classics lately and find them to be a reflection of our time and not that of the original authors. Maybe this is an attempt to make the classic story more relevant, but they don't need to be made more relevant, a true classic is relevant because of its universal themes. That being said, Epstein did a wonderful job of creating side quests for the marginalized March sisters that flowed with so much plausibility I began to wonder why Joe got so much attention when obviously the others were living far more interesting lives. I hope she continues their stories, maybe with individual books for each of the sisters.

When I saw that there was a new book that got its inspiration from Little Women I had to read it. I really enjoyed Little Women and this book takes us behind the pages into what the March sisters were really like, based on the authors’ ideas. Each of the sisters had their own section where readers are immersed in their lives. It is from their points of view and this gives them a voice that makes the story their own rather than being as Jo views them. I found that it allowed the sisters to be real and live lives that were messy and full rather than being the perfect ideal. Their relationship with Marmee and her expectations was also explored. Included were letters between the sisters and I enjoyed how these shared details and further exhibited the relationships between the sisters. If you enjoy a story that goes behind the pages of beloved books I recommend this one.

I love Little Women and by extension, books based off it or inspired by it. This book is no exception to that. I loved this book and the writing style as well is pretty good. I love how the other March sisters are given their own voice and story to tell.

One of my favorite books is Little Women including the movie with Winona Ryder. I really wanted to love this book but I was just annoyed by it. I have now decided retellings are not for me. I felt the part with Amy is annoying and I didn't care for Amy. The part with Meg was annoying and the part with Beth was annoying. Overall I was annoyed throughout the whole book.

Read if you like Retellings.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Linda Epstein; Ally Malinenko; Liz Parker for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Other March Sisters coming out February 25, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really love Little Women! It’s one of my favorite books. I love all of the movie adaptations. I’m always interested in checking out new books about it. Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me. It felt disjointed to me. The other sisters had their own storylines, but it didn’t really seem to come together. I think I just love the original too much and this didn’t feel true to that. I think it would’ve worked better if it was just set in modern times.

This was a well-written book. It told the story of Jo's sisters in Little Women from another point of view. It was interesting and sweet, though it did not really engage my attention or appeal to me very much.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC of this book.

It’s no doubt a challenge to take on the classic Little Women, which became a classic large because of the unforgettable March sisters, and Jo in particular. This book is an attempt by the three authors to « talk around » the boisterous Jo and give voice to the three quieter sisters, as the title suggests. By imagining their unwritten stories, they allow them their own agency, and they take off in directions unimaginable to their original 19th century characters. The writing is generally crisp, lively and empathic, though in some chapters more than others.

This is actually the biggest problem I have with this book its inconsistency not only in style but also in structure. Is it even a novel? Some chapters cohere, others read like separate essays in an anthology focussing on 3 out of 4 sisters. No doubt much of this is due to the challenges of combining the work of three authors.

It’s interesting to see Meg become a working mother, but hard to accept that her marriage to John was little more than an arrangement foisted on her by Marmee. Likewise we see the sweet unlamenting Beth become angry and vocal about her stoic suffering, determined to do some of the things she wants to do, despite the admonitions of Marmee. And Amy, away in Europe, is forever reminding herself that she owes her parents a « good marriage » to lift them out of the poverty in which her father’s bad decisions
had left the formerly well-off March family. Marmee is unrecognizable in this version, as is the previously gentle and protective Laurie, who is angry and accusatory about Jo.
In truth, despite their attempts to tell the other sisters’ stories, Jo is always there. And the girls and their parents flail at a ghost, ironically proving that Jo was indeed the novel’s centre, simply by being more interesting than the rest.

Little Women is such a classic tale I think that anyone trying to write and alternative timeline for the girls would come up against those who will either love or hate the new iteration. In my case I really didn’t enjoy Amy’s timeline. I will say they did capture her annoying and self-centered personality to a tee, but I just couldn’t get behind her or anything happening in her two parts. Now for Meg and Beth I found both their chapters to be empowering. I do think it is interesting to add in a more positive LGBTQ+ spin to a classic where there are already some hints of an LGBTQ+ nature with Joe’s character. Do I think that almost every character in the family needs to fall under the flag that may be a bit of a stretch, but once again it will be on the readers to see if they want to embrace that narrative, or the narratives they have created from the classic. I enjoyed the book overall and can’t wait to hear what others think about it.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

The other March sisters gives an updated look at what Meg, Amy and Beth's lives were like, especially after Jo leaves. Well written by three authors, an easy, captivating read. Each section is just long enough, ending with a second part with Amy to finish off her time in Europe. I enjoyed reading this book and many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and the authors for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. A "must read" for Little Women fans with an open mind and heart.

The Other March Sisters is not a complete reimagining of the stories told in the book, Little Women. The idea was to share "some of the confidential conversations, intimate and undisclosed connections, private moments, and correspondence" of Meg, Amy, and Beth March in order to fill in the pieces their sister Jo could never know. It's an interesting idea, and I think it's brilliantly written. Three authors, Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker, give voice to the three sisters by showing the moments Jo March couldn't have known. In doing so, they allow for each sister to shine.

The authors have indeed "given the other March sisters a moment in the spotlight of their own stories—free from a certain sister’s interpretation and a certain mother’s expectations." I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Amy March had grown up seeing the beauty in the world and wanting to bask in it. For this, she was considered spoiled, even silly. She loved painting, but didn't have the innate genius her family said a person was born with, but she practiced and she kept going, always falling a little short. She wanted more in life than to use her looks to marry a man of wealth, but the expectations of her family haunted her.

Laurie had a similar story, though money would never be a concern for him. Growing up next to the March family, he'd been unofficially adopted into their hearts as a brother. He understood Amy's struggles, appreciated her art, and cared for her more than a brother would. There's a clear longing in both of them, along with strings that keep them tethered.

Amy's story is of growing up and finding her path in life. She knows what she wants and what's expected of her, and they seem to diverge far from one another. There's so much potential, but also the possibility of disappointment and heartbreak. Her story isn't finished, though, and the story ends right when the reader sees hope for a love match.

Amy's story comes across as more a series of snippets than a whole story, but they piggyback on the original story beautifully and are carefully curated to show the important moments in her life. It then switches to Meg's point of view, which took me a moment to recover from.

Meg Brooke is married with twins... and miserable. She wished she hadn't married so young, and after another argument with her husband about needlessly spending money on nice dresses, Meg leaves for the peace of her mother's garden. Only, she realises while talking to her mother that she'd been guided towards this life, to this husband, close to her mother where Meg can vent her frustrations instead of healing them. Angry at her mother and her life, she decides to build her own garden. Her yard is currently overgrown with plants and herbs she recognises from a book her friend gifted her, and with that realisation, Meg sees an opportunity to use her garden for good ... and perhaps for profit. Doing so brings happiness to Meg's life, which translates into happiness in her marriage.

She writes to Amy in Europe, confessing her struggles as a wife and mother, her distance from their mother, and of her new passion. She also gives Amy advice: "I understand you want to do what's best for all of us, but I hope that you find what's best for you along the way and only wish that i could have given you that advice sooner." Their mother placed unrealistic and selfish demands upon her children, and as Meg stood up for herself and chose happiness, she counselled her sister to do the same.

Meg's story is one many young women can relate to. It is a solid as the ground beneath her feet, and as beautiful as a garden full of wildflowers and herbs. Her story focuses of healing and hope, while covering topics still relevant today, such as preventing pregnancy and abortion. It's skillfully written, and suits the story and the characters.

While the shift from Amy to Meg was slightly jarring, the flow from Meg to Beth was beautifully executed.

Beth March isn't the oldest or the youngest, but she's the one kept close at home, suffocated by her mother's attentions, without hope for love or a life of her own. Her childhood brush with death due to scarlet fever left Beth weak. It didn't weaken her mind, though, and her lingering illness was making her irritable. "She could accept turning into a ghost. She couldn’t accept turning into a mean, bitter thing."

Enter a new friend named Florida, who saw Beth as a woman, not as a sick girl. She gave Beth honesty and hope that she could do more - be more - than she'd ever expected. This view of Beth was inspirational. It was soft and thoughtful, but deep as the ocean. There was so much under the surface for readers to discover and love.

And then, the return to Amy's story at the end was perfection. Amy's second half of the story is by far the more romantic version of events. It's also an open discussion on love, attraction, and how complex it can be. It's intelligent, honest, and so lovely.

The Other March Sisters is absolutely delightful, and a must read for any Little Women fans. It challenges Jo's version of events at times, but in the best way. It feels true, and it's a pleasure to read.