About the book
From Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March, and crafted a story “filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of one unforgettable man”.
Reviewed by Brats et al Reading Group:
We liked the idea of the author taking the father from Little Women and expanding on his character and also that of the mother. We felt that the book portrayed the different characters well and the relationships between the characters. It expanded our knowledge of the American Civil War period and helped us to consider the shades of grey that there are in every conflict. We would recommend this book.
Star rating: ****
Hampshire Libraries 
Review by Bookworms Reading Group:
Enjoyed by nearly everyone. Beautifully written, loved the use of some archaic words to give the flavour of the period. Thought it gave a greater ‘depth’ to the book. Also after the story, discussed facts about the author and her ideas and why she had written the way she had.
Star rating: ****
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Review by Bookworms Reading Group:
Enjoyed by nearly everyone. Beautifully written, loved the use of some archaic words to give the flavour of the period. Thought it gave a greater ‘depth’ to the book. Also after the story, discussed facts about the author and her ideas and why she had written the way she had.
Star rating: ****
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Review by Sandy Lane Reading Group:
Some felt that the use of ‘Little Women’ was unnecessary and plagiaristic. The central character was weak and unlikeable but the historical detail was well researched and the detail of slavery moving and informative.
Star rating: **
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Review by Sandy Lane Reading Group:
Some felt that the use of ‘Little Women’ was unnecessary and plagiaristic. The central character was weak and unlikeable but the historical detail was well researched and the detail of slavery moving and informative.
Star rating: **
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Review Andover Library Reading Group:
A slow start. Those who did not like it did not like the main character. Those who did found him complex and interesting. All agreed that the period, American Civil war, was worth knowing a bit more about.
Star rating: **+
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Review by Everton Reading Group
Difficult to get into because of the language. Much enjoyed by most of the group. The history of the war in America was well portrayed and interestingly written about, as was the slavery aspect.
Star rating ***
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Review by Fareham 5:30 Reading Group
We struggled with this book, and two people didn’t finish.
We found Mr March an unstympathetic character – and one whose character did not seem to develop. We had no access really to his internal dialague.
We disagreed on whether it was well-written – we did think this was a journalist writing.
We all enjoyed the character of Grace, and her final message about the “Blacks” needing to shape their destiny themselves. There were so many interesting aspects to the story of the Civil War, and we felt the use of the novel Little Women constrained the story.
As others have said, the history of the War was interesting – but not sufficient to make this book in any way compelling. Two stars.
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