LiterariLeigh

"A year seems very long to wait before I see them, but remind them that while we wait we may all work, so that these hard days need not be wasted. I know they will remember all I said to them, that they will be loving children to you, will do their duty faithfully, fight their bosom enemies bravely, and conquer themselves so beautifully that when I come back to them I may be fonder and prouder than ever of my little women." 

  ~from a letter from Mr. March to his family, 
    Little Women by Lousia May Alcott

The decision to read March by Geraldine Brooks was a tough one. I adore Little Women and have read through it several times; sometimes I just reread favorite parts. Much like when a book is turned into a movie there's always a question of how characters will be interpreted by a different author.

I need not have worried. While March includes the four sisters and Marmee, the story it tells is of Mr. March, the father who's presence is felt and briefly seen in Little Women. Enlisted in the army during the Civil War, March is a chaplain brave in duty, comforting to the soldiers, a willing teacher - he is a flesh and blood man. Though he writes stalwart letters home, the hardships and horrors of the war become a part of him forever. Much darker and more mature than Alcott's novel, March is a must read for avid fans. If you haven't read the original, I think the character is developed enough in his own right to make for a rewarding read.