So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix
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- Create Date：2021-09-13 07:19:11
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Bethany C. Morrow
- ISBN：B08PW67S52
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Summary
8 hours， 30 minutes
Four young Black sisters come of age during the American Civil War in this warm and powerful ode to Black joy and sisterhood， a YA remix of the classic novel Little Women。
1863。 As the American Civil War rages on， the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island is blossoming， a haven for the recently emancipated。 Black folk have begun building a community of their own， a refuge from the shadow of the "old life。" It is where the March family has finally been able to safely put down roots with four young daughters:
Meg， a teacher who longs to find love and start a family of her own。
Jo， a writer whose words are too powerful to be contained。
Beth， a talented seamstress searching for a higher purpose。
Amy， a dancer eager to explore life outside her family's home。
As the four March sisters come into their own as independent young women， they will face first love， health struggles， heartbreak， and new horizons。 But they will face it all together。
Four young Black sisters come of age during the American Civil War in this warm and powerful ode to Black joy and sisterhood， a YA remix of the classic novel Little Women。
1863。 As the American Civil War rages on， the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island is blossoming， a haven for the recently emancipated。 Black folk have begun building a community of their own， a refuge from the shadow of the "old life。" It is where the March family has finally been able to safely put down roots with four young daughters:
Meg， a teacher who longs to find love and start a family of her own。
Jo， a writer whose words are too powerful to be contained。
Beth， a talented seamstress searching for a higher purpose。
Amy， a dancer eager to explore life outside her family's home。
As the four March sisters come into their own as independent young women， they will face first love， health struggles， heartbreak， and new horizons。 But they will face it all together。
Reviews
Jennifer Acres
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It is entirely rare that I fall in love with a retelling/remake of a story more completely than the original， but So Many Beginnings is the greatest exception。 Each character stole my heart in a different way。 Jo's character had always been my favorite from the original， but I feel this story finally did right by her。 Also the illuminating and heartbreaking history of this story will stay with me forever。 I am so grateful to Morrow for writing this book and allowing me to see through different e It is entirely rare that I fall in love with a retelling/remake of a story more completely than the original， but So Many Beginnings is the greatest exception。 Each character stole my heart in a different way。 Jo's character had always been my favorite from the original， but I feel this story finally did right by her。 Also the illuminating and heartbreaking history of this story will stay with me forever。 I am so grateful to Morrow for writing this book and allowing me to see through different eyes in such a vivid way。 I highly recommend this book - especially if you loved Little Women。 While I loved the original， So Many Beginnings made my heart feel whole。 。。。more
Anniek
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Such a gorgeous reimagining of Little Women。 Exactly what I was hoping for from the "remixed classics": a book that adds so much value of its own， while still keeping the heart and feel of the original story。 Absolutely stunning。 Such a gorgeous reimagining of Little Women。 Exactly what I was hoping for from the "remixed classics": a book that adds so much value of its own， while still keeping the heart and feel of the original story。 Absolutely stunning。 。。。more
Kathy Henkins
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So Many Beginnings， a Remixed Classic based on Louisa Mae Alcott's Little Women， is such an important book。 Bethany C。 Morrow has taken the basics of the Civil War Era story of four sisters and mother （father in the Union Army） and set it firmly， but gently， in the lives of a Black family living in the Freedmen's Colony on Roanoke Island。 Writing for young adults， mainly， Morrow does not shy from the cruel realities of Black oppression when they were enslaved – and the still-cruel， but less viol So Many Beginnings， a Remixed Classic based on Louisa Mae Alcott's Little Women， is such an important book。 Bethany C。 Morrow has taken the basics of the Civil War Era story of four sisters and mother （father in the Union Army） and set it firmly， but gently， in the lives of a Black family living in the Freedmen's Colony on Roanoke Island。 Writing for young adults， mainly， Morrow does not shy from the cruel realities of Black oppression when they were enslaved – and the still-cruel， but less violent oppression of Black people by the Northern Whites whose stereotyping and advantage-taking permeates Roanoke Island。 But the realities and revelations are woven into the stories of the four very different young women。Some readers see Little Women as a novel promoting individuality and “vocation。” Two of the March sisters work to bring money into the impoverished family， and， of course， each sister is different from the others – and accepted for her developing identity。 So， too， So Many Beginnings shows its readers a group of people， women and men， “beginning” new lives， growing into adulthood。 Each an individual with a strong self-concept。And the females in this novel are so wise！ I wanted to mock the discussions and mini-lectures that go on in the March family （as I did when I read Little Women）， but every time a new passage came along， I found myself reading and almost trying to memorize the words because of how emotionally perceptive and compassionate it was。 An early， simple example is an exchange between Amy and Meg。 Meg tells Amy not to pout because it's unbecoming。 Amy asks， “And who have I got to be becoming for？” To which Amy replies， “For yourself， of course。”Alcott was asked to write a story for young women， and she did so to bring in money to her family。 She modeled the characters and dynamics on her own family。 In taking on this story's structure， Morrow has let her extensive research and her own experiences flesh out the characters and their environment。 Although this comes from a Northern woman steeped in prejudice， about Jo's story of her own life， the woman says， ”You are so skilled at juxtaposing the beauty of your family against the heinous nature of enslavement。” And this is what Morrow has accomplished with the March family。I received a copy of this book from Fiewel and Friends publishers。 This is an honest review。 。。。more
Anik-MamaBearsBookshelf
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💭My review:🐻I wanted to read this book because I am a big fan of the original novel Little woman。 I also love the cover it really drew me and it's so pretty and fits the story so well。 I really enjoyed this version， it was so different yet so the same。 I think the author did a really good job on the story， I think her writing is so beautiful。 The details really made you feel the story。 I enjoyed the book and I'm very happy I got to read it。 *Thanks to NetGalley， MacMillan Children's Publishing G 💭My review:🐻I wanted to read this book because I am a big fan of the original novel Little woman。 I also love the cover it really drew me and it's so pretty and fits the story so well。 I really enjoyed this version， it was so different yet so the same。 I think the author did a really good job on the story， I think her writing is so beautiful。 The details really made you feel the story。 I enjoyed the book and I'm very happy I got to read it。 *Thanks to NetGalley， MacMillan Children's Publishing Group， MacMillan for giving me the chance of reviewing this novel。 。。。more
Shay | Books Are Magic Too
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I was SO impressed by this retelling - keeping it like the classic with a fantastic slow burn， with a focus on something that is such an important part of history。 I loved that while it kept the same themes of sisterhood and self discovery while giving us as readers a diverse， much needed point of view and an incredibly real and relatable story。The direction Morrow took in the book was interesting and xx， the March family in this tale has recently been emancipated and I really enjoyed reading th I was SO impressed by this retelling - keeping it like the classic with a fantastic slow burn， with a focus on something that is such an important part of history。 I loved that while it kept the same themes of sisterhood and self discovery while giving us as readers a diverse， much needed point of view and an incredibly real and relatable story。The direction Morrow took in the book was interesting and xx， the March family in this tale has recently been emancipated and I really enjoyed reading this side of the Civil War story。 In the classic I felt like the characters were a bit harsh and unlikeable， whereas in this title I really enjoyed the sisters， their relationships and how they were written。 And heck， who doesn't love when a book sneaks in some knowledge you didn't know， and urges you to go research more about the topic！I found the writing style refreshing while remaining respectful to the original tale of Little Women， but in a more contemporary voice that kept me interested！ Having read Bethany's A Song Below Water books， I was very excited about this book and was absolutely thrilled to be invited to be a part of the tour with Turn the Page Tours！ 。。。more
CR
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I was so excited for this one and when it came I dived in head first。 I loved the remix of this one set with a family that has just been freed from savory。 However， the writing style just didn't work for me as much as I was hoping。 I am very hit and miss when it comes to contemporary novels。 And when that writing is very lyrical that hit and miss gets even wider。 This one although I did still enjoy it， also made it kind of a pain to read with the lyrical writing。 So I did still enjoy it but its I was so excited for this one and when it came I dived in head first。 I loved the remix of this one set with a family that has just been freed from savory。 However， the writing style just didn't work for me as much as I was hoping。 I am very hit and miss when it comes to contemporary novels。 And when that writing is very lyrical that hit and miss gets even wider。 This one although I did still enjoy it， also made it kind of a pain to read with the lyrical writing。 So I did still enjoy it but its not one I think that I would revisit later on。 I don't think that a reread of this one in the future would be something that I would want to do。 I think those who love remixes as well as those that are fans of Little Woman will totally love this one。 Also those who are in love with historical ones will most likely fall hard for this one。 The characters are wonderful and I am excited to check out the other remixes in this series。 。。。more
Talie
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Thanks to Fierce Reads for the arc of this title。One sentence review: I loved everything about this Little Women remix set in the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island in 1863 during the Civil War。Two important facts about me: 1。 I was obsessed by Little Women when I was a kid。 2。 I'm a historian。 For me So Many Beginnings took everything I loved from those original Little Women books - sisterhood， the strength of family， and women finding and being their true selves - and put it into a historic s Thanks to Fierce Reads for the arc of this title。One sentence review: I loved everything about this Little Women remix set in the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island in 1863 during the Civil War。Two important facts about me: 1。 I was obsessed by Little Women when I was a kid。 2。 I'm a historian。 For me So Many Beginnings took everything I loved from those original Little Women books - sisterhood， the strength of family， and women finding and being their true selves - and put it into a historic setting that our American educational system largely ignores。 Morrow also takes some part of the story that have always bugged me a little and gives them a spin that I was 100% there for。My thoughts:- I loved that this book centers around freed slaves in the Roanoke Colony。 I really learned a lot。 Morrow does such a great job of showing the complexities of this time in history and the varieties of emotions of the different characters and how there was not universal agreement with regards to settlements or black people's relationship to the Union Army。 It was a tumultuous time and this book really captures that。- This book， much like Little Women， is a slow burn。 It meanders itself through the characters and slowly brings them to life。 I think Morrow does an excellent job of staying true to the original text， while making a few key changes which help to modernize the text a bit and perhaps make it a bit more accessible for today's YA audience。 I liked the changes。 A Little Women purist may not。- I think this would be such a valuable piece of literature for either high school English or History courses （or an adjunct between the two）。 There are so many great topics addressed in this book that could lead to such great discussions。 I'll qualify this by saying my kid's high school recently added The Hate You Give and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe to their supplementary reading in 10th grade so it isn't beyond the realm of possibility。Long story short - I think this is a really well done remix on Little Women。 It is historical while at the same time hits issues that are timely and put a historical perspective on race relations in the United States that seem particularly relevant today。 。。。more
Mallory
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I really liked the concept of remixing and diversifying some of our favorite classics。 Little Women is a story I have enjoyed and I was excited to see it be reimagined as a family with four sisters recently freed from slavery。 I liked the way that the book didn’t shy away from tough issues。 I also liked that I could see pieces of the familiar characters， but that they also felt like their own characters with their own important stories to tell。 Jo and Lorie were adorable and I really loved their I really liked the concept of remixing and diversifying some of our favorite classics。 Little Women is a story I have enjoyed and I was excited to see it be reimagined as a family with four sisters recently freed from slavery。 I liked the way that the book didn’t shy away from tough issues。 I also liked that I could see pieces of the familiar characters， but that they also felt like their own characters with their own important stories to tell。 Jo and Lorie were adorable and I really loved their friendship and piece of this story。 While the original is amazing， I will admit to being selfishly glad to not cry through the ending of this book。 I really think this was a unique story to tell， I don’t think I have read anything quite like this about freed Black people and the continuing struggles they had during and post Civil War。 And this author did this project justice with a good voice for story telling。 。。。more
Kait
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Full review TK！
Olivia ♡
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Happy pub week to So Many Beginnings！I enjoyed this remix of Little Women。 Taking place in the Freedpeople's Colony in Roanoke Island， follow Meg， Jo， Beth， and Amy as they navigate their new lives as emancipated people and have the choice to forge their own futures。Morrow has made it very clear that this is a remix rather than a retelling of Little Women - the storylines are only somewhat matching to the original， but are presented in a refreshing way in this new context。 What rings true to the Happy pub week to So Many Beginnings！I enjoyed this remix of Little Women。 Taking place in the Freedpeople's Colony in Roanoke Island， follow Meg， Jo， Beth， and Amy as they navigate their new lives as emancipated people and have the choice to forge their own futures。Morrow has made it very clear that this is a remix rather than a retelling of Little Women - the storylines are only somewhat matching to the original， but are presented in a refreshing way in this new context。 What rings true to the original are the sisters' relationships to each other and their personalities。 I also loved Mammy and her staunch support of all of her daughters， even if it means that they'll be separated from her， and the character growth that Mammy has in viewing her daughters leaving home， which she understandably has a lot of trauma around。The historical context of this novel is present throughout this book， in almost every interaction or even the characters' mental assessment of a situation。 The trauma of what the Marches have had to go through while enslaved and how it affects how they behave in response to the repeated aggressions post-slavery from both white people and born-free northern black people are shown throughout the book。I enjoyed the way that the March sisters' stories diverged from the original - Beth's illness， Jo's writing career， Amy's career path in following her dreams， and the love lives of the various sisters。 The love lives of the sisters are completely different from Little Women， but I especially love the way that Jo and Lorie's relationship in this book was handled。Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group， Feiwel & Friends， and NetGalley for the ARC。Blog ♡ Tumblr ♡ Instagram 。。。more
Starlight
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I have such fond memories of reading Little Women when I was in middle school for a book report， so imagine my surprise when I saw that the awesome Bethany C。 Morrow was publishing a Black remixed version of my beloved Little Women！What I loved most about this story is that it's not a direct retelling of Little Woman as we all know it。 Sure， the characters share names and passions with the original March sisters， but Morrow brings new life to the characters with her writing， as well as new cultu I have such fond memories of reading Little Women when I was in middle school for a book report， so imagine my surprise when I saw that the awesome Bethany C。 Morrow was publishing a Black remixed version of my beloved Little Women！What I loved most about this story is that it's not a direct retelling of Little Woman as we all know it。 Sure， the characters share names and passions with the original March sisters， but Morrow brings new life to the characters with her writing， as well as new cultural and political significance， as our main characters are Black in a story set during the civil war！ It was really interesting to see how being Black would affect the girls and their passions。 In this version of the story， we get to see racism， white privilege， medical racism， and the effects of American slavery， which I applaud Morrow so much for tackling in her story！I read through this book in a day because it just fascinated and appealed to me so much。 I will definitely be recommending this to friends， and perhaps even other English majors who want a different perspective on this classic！ 。。。more
Jade
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As with the original， this retelling focuses on the lives of the four March sisters， all represented and translated with beloved care。 Each sister has a voice and a strong character and none fall to the back burner。 The March sisters each bring a unique perspective the the story and you can’t help but love every single one of them。Set during， and shortly after， the Civil War and told through eyes of the newly emancipated citizens of the Roanoke Island Freedman’s Colony， this retelling is incredi As with the original， this retelling focuses on the lives of the four March sisters， all represented and translated with beloved care。 Each sister has a voice and a strong character and none fall to the back burner。 The March sisters each bring a unique perspective the the story and you can’t help but love every single one of them。Set during， and shortly after， the Civil War and told through eyes of the newly emancipated citizens of the Roanoke Island Freedman’s Colony， this retelling is incredibly timely。 From government sanctioned abuse of the Black community to the white savior complex， the themes of this story are incredibly relevant in today’s society。 This may be a historical retelling， but as a reader you can’t help but feel that it could easily be written about modern times （that is， if you pay attention to the news and you’re not a disgusting racist）。 This is a Black story written by a Black woman that should be read by all people。 Especially white people。The plot of So Many Beginnings hold true enough to Little Women that it can indeed be called a remix， yet has enough creative liberties taken that it feels fresh and new。 I must also say I am delighted by a few of the liberties taken in regards to Amy， Lorie， and Jo。 I understand the reasonings behind their original plots but I don’t care， Miss Morrow did me a personal favor with redirecting those a bit。 Honestly， I can’t sing this book’s praises enough。 I laughed， I cried， and I learned some things。 What more could you ask for？ 。。。more
Gina
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I love that this remix is historically accurate and highlights previously disregarded stories of real lives。 It was really well written。 I think I liked the remix of Jo's character the best because I think she highlights black feminism a bit。 I love that this remix is historically accurate and highlights previously disregarded stories of real lives。 It was really well written。 I think I liked the remix of Jo's character the best because I think she highlights black feminism a bit。 。。。more
Karis Rogerson
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（Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for an eARC of the book。）4。75/5 starsI could have read another 300 pages of this — or more。 I want a sequel， I want more， I want to continue reading the adventures of the March sisters。 This remix of Little Women has EVERYTHING the original does and more。 It has the same charm and familial bond， but the framework is different。 The conversations are different。 The fears and daily struggles are different。Morrow doesn't shy away from discussing hard things （Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for an eARC of the book。）4。75/5 starsI could have read another 300 pages of this — or more。 I want a sequel， I want more， I want to continue reading the adventures of the March sisters。 This remix of Little Women has EVERYTHING the original does and more。 It has the same charm and familial bond， but the framework is different。 The conversations are different。 The fears and daily struggles are different。Morrow doesn't shy away from discussing hard things — how could she， in a book about formerly enslaved people who've been emancipated in a land that still doesn't respect them， give them the love they deserve？ She broaches them unflinchingly and sometimes it made me uncomfortable， in a good way， a necessary way。But the book isn't all struggles and hard conversations。 It's sisterly bonds， it's following your dreams， it's falling in love。 It's unexpected twists and turns and favorite characters。 It's love in all its many， myriad， beautiful forms。My one complaint is that there's too little of it。 I simply need MORE。 。。。more
Claire Hill
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Very sweet and touching as well as bringing to light a different， needed perspective of this point in American history; a fresh and heartfelt take on the classic tale。
Nathaniel
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No， you don't understand。 I'm。 Not。 Okay。 Not after that ending。 I want more。 I want to see Amy dazzle the world， and Jo rip it apart with her words， and Beth continue being sweet， and Meg find her true happiness。 I want to see the world develop in acceptance and racism begin to dwindle。 I want more。 Why can't we have more？Bethany C。 Morrow is such a beautiful writer。 Her words drip like honey。 I need to read her other things sometime soon。 She has a way with words and plots and characters that No， you don't understand。 I'm。 Not。 Okay。 Not after that ending。 I want more。 I want to see Amy dazzle the world， and Jo rip it apart with her words， and Beth continue being sweet， and Meg find her true happiness。 I want to see the world develop in acceptance and racism begin to dwindle。 I want more。 Why can't we have more？Bethany C。 Morrow is such a beautiful writer。 Her words drip like honey。 I need to read her other things sometime soon。 She has a way with words and plots and characters that blows me away。 This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time。 。。。more
Dawn
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Though I’ve never read the original version of little women， I vaguely remember kids talking about it in elementary school。 When I first heard about this book， I was intrigued by the idea of a retelling from the black perspective， I just hoped it wouldn’t be too heavy since I’m a bit worn out by brutal stories of slavery in my fiction lately。 I really wanted to read some black historical fiction that would still make me feel happy， and this story was just what I needed。 Some parts were a bit sug Though I’ve never read the original version of little women， I vaguely remember kids talking about it in elementary school。 When I first heard about this book， I was intrigued by the idea of a retelling from the black perspective， I just hoped it wouldn’t be too heavy since I’m a bit worn out by brutal stories of slavery in my fiction lately。 I really wanted to read some black historical fiction that would still make me feel happy， and this story was just what I needed。 Some parts were a bit sugary but I still enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with strong black leads。 4 stars！ 。。。more
Eileen
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4。5 starsThis was a retelling of Little Women， but I haven't read the book in decades， so other than the fact that I remembered their four names and Beth died young， I really didn't remember much of the book。 I looked up a summary of the original book and this book reflects some of the same themes of sisterhood and love， but this is a book that is its own story。 The author did a ton of research about this time period leaned heavily on a book called Full of Trial: The Roanoke Island Freedmen's Co 4。5 starsThis was a retelling of Little Women， but I haven't read the book in decades， so other than the fact that I remembered their four names and Beth died young， I really didn't remember much of the book。 I looked up a summary of the original book and this book reflects some of the same themes of sisterhood and love， but this is a book that is its own story。 The author did a ton of research about this time period leaned heavily on a book called Full of Trial: The Roanoke Island Freedmen's Colony， 1862-1867。 I looked up this colony and I had never heard of it。 The way she incorporated Little Women into this setting was really well done。 Each of the sisters was similar in temperament and character as their inspirational counterparts， but I loved how the author allowed them to become themselves in the context of the Freedmen's Colony。 Like the author， I have never heard of the Freedman's Colony and it was truly eye-opening to me and further evidence of the role that white supremacy and anti-Blackness played in the history we were all given as kids， and why our country is at the state it is with so many people of color still at a disadvantage。 For this alone， this book is important。I also found her spin on Beth's illness （scarlet fever in the original） to lead her to where she ended up to be very well done。 Although she never explicitly states what the illness was， you can tell from the various clues what it must be （I'll leave that for you to discover）。 As in the original book， my favorite character was Jo and I found her take on Jo and Lorie's relationship to be perfect。 It ended up really fitting who they became in this story。 All this to say that I really enjoyed this retelling。 I loved Little Women back when I was young， but I truly had not read it in decades， so I didn't find myself making comparisons at all。 I think this allowed me to really enjoy this book on its own merits without having any conflicts with trying to compare a modern work to a classic that has stood the test of time。 What is true of both books is that it really is about the strong bonds of sisters in spite of all their differences。 I definitely recommend this book， especially if you like historical fiction and if you like stories about sisters and family， and yes， if you are a fan of Little Women。I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Julia Pika
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Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review。It is as the title says， this is quite literally a reimagining of Little Women but with newly freedwomen after the brutal Civil War。 The new perspective is incredible to read， I definitely learned more about the Reconstruction Era from this book than I did in school which usually brushed over it。 I think I ended up liking the specific setting moreso than the writing， the writing kind o Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review。It is as the title says， this is quite literally a reimagining of Little Women but with newly freedwomen after the brutal Civil War。 The new perspective is incredible to read， I definitely learned more about the Reconstruction Era from this book than I did in school which usually brushed over it。 I think I ended up liking the specific setting moreso than the writing， the writing kind of meandered at some points and I skimmed sometimes， but it was still a good reinterpretation of Little Women。The ending felt rushed， I feel like the book would have benefited if it had more words/time to spread the story out more。 Still， a must-read for any Little Women fan！ 。。。more
Johannah A Classy Rebel Reader
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“So Many Beginnings” by Bethany C。 Morrow is beautifully written， with history infused on every page。 Morrow has done a brilliant job of retelling the classic story of “Little Women” in a fresh way。 I could easily recognize the unique personalities of Meg， Jo， Beth， and Amy。 The daily struggles each girl faced were new since it was told from a different perspective in history。In this retelling， the March sisters are living in the Freedpeople’s Colony of Roanoke Island， a colony of recently emanc “So Many Beginnings” by Bethany C。 Morrow is beautifully written， with history infused on every page。 Morrow has done a brilliant job of retelling the classic story of “Little Women” in a fresh way。 I could easily recognize the unique personalities of Meg， Jo， Beth， and Amy。 The daily struggles each girl faced were new since it was told from a different perspective in history。In this retelling， the March sisters are living in the Freedpeople’s Colony of Roanoke Island， a colony of recently emancipated slaves。 While they are hoping for a fresh start， they soon realize that much of the things promised to them are not as they seemed。 The girls will have to forge their own way in their new life， while still staying true to who they are。 Overall， I loved Morrow’s writing style。 Her version of Jo is eloquent with words。 I often found myself having to look up words that Jo used to make sure I was pronouncing them correctly。 Amy is spoiled as always， just as Beth is always sweet。 As a teacher， I identified with Meg's daily struggle of teaching， when things don't go as planned。 Morrow does a great job of casting light onto a portion of history often not talked about but needs to be addressed。 I learned about things in this book， that were never taught in school and I wish had been discussed。 I give this book a 5/5-star rating and would recommend it to any classic lovers or those who want to get a better perspective on history。Thanks to @BookishFirst for this gifted copy and an honest review。 #SoManyBeginnings #SoManyBeginningsALittleWomenRemix #BethanyCMorrow #BookishFirst #PubDay #Imaclassyrebelreader #lookatmyclassyrebelread #bookcommunity #instabooks #igreads #igbooks #bookish #books #booksbooksbooks #bookphotography #reader #reading #bookaesthetic #bookaddict #HistoricalFiction #MysteriousCrawfish 。。。more
Mallory Lozoya
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I have a soft spot in my heart for Little Women。 It was the first book to make me cry as a kid， and I love the deep love the whole March family has for each other。 When I found out about this remix， I was so excited to read it！ This remix is excellent。 The prose is very similar to the original book and I loved reading it。 The bond between the four sisters is just as strong， and each sister feels so well-developed and real。 I love that the time period stays the same， but we get to see everything I have a soft spot in my heart for Little Women。 It was the first book to make me cry as a kid， and I love the deep love the whole March family has for each other。 When I found out about this remix， I was so excited to read it！ This remix is excellent。 The prose is very similar to the original book and I loved reading it。 The bond between the four sisters is just as strong， and each sister feels so well-developed and real。 I love that the time period stays the same， but we get to see everything from an entirely different perspective。 This book taught me about the freed people’s colonies and what life was like for Black people after the Civil War。 I loved this book！ Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC。 。。。more
Angie
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So Many Beginnings is a poignant story of a family of newly freed persons beginning life anew and the challenges they faced。 It was sad that only those in a similar situation could understand their difficulties。 It was worse that no one else really even seemed to try。 I found parts very moving， especially when it was suggested that Jo write her own story。 Also， I was quite pleased about the fate of the painting from the big house。Before this book， I was unaware of the Roanoke colony。 I would hav So Many Beginnings is a poignant story of a family of newly freed persons beginning life anew and the challenges they faced。 It was sad that only those in a similar situation could understand their difficulties。 It was worse that no one else really even seemed to try。 I found parts very moving， especially when it was suggested that Jo write her own story。 Also， I was quite pleased about the fate of the painting from the big house。Before this book， I was unaware of the Roanoke colony。 I would have liked to have read/learned more about it here。This story worked well as a Little Women re-mix。 It retained key elements （The family could have been considered forward thinking; the man of the house had been taken away by the war; the dynamic between the four sisters was there， and they had similar personalities to the original characters）， but it gave this March family a history and a story of its own。 I even found that I liked Amy better in this version。 She was still spoiled， but she was not unkind。I didn't feel the overall narrative flowed smoothly。 Story threads seemed to be dropped and forgotten only to turn up again much later， and sometimes it was hard to keep track of how much time had passed。 And then the end felt rushed。 I was completely surprised to learn in the last chapter where Amy and Jo were going to be heading。 As far as I know， that was the only mention in the whole book of the subject。 I felt like I'd skipped a chapter。Also， I found myself distracted by the frequent use of the phrase "despite that"。 It sounded awkward and incorrect but was used heavily throughout。 "Despite that it made her look older"， "despite that she was right in front of him，" "despite that Amy had never seen one"， etc。 I found myself pausing to think what wording would sound smoother or to insert a synonym like "even though"。 That may be too much time spent in English class， though。Overall， it was an interesting book。 Thank you to Bookishfirst for the early read。 。。。more
Ali Bunke
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I enjoyed the perspective of the four black sisters living in a free people colony in NC during the end and after the Civil War in this Remix of Little Women。 I liked that the author created a story that didn't stay too close to the original， while still staying true to the heart of the characters。 Each character's essence was beautifully translated into the new story。 There are lovely nods to elements of the original story。 I also feel like the author was able to remain true to the experience o I enjoyed the perspective of the four black sisters living in a free people colony in NC during the end and after the Civil War in this Remix of Little Women。 I liked that the author created a story that didn't stay too close to the original， while still staying true to the heart of the characters。 Each character's essence was beautifully translated into the new story。 There are lovely nods to elements of the original story。 I also feel like the author was able to remain true to the experience of a black family during the time the book takes place。 Beyond a lovely story about the March sisters， this book seemed to be educational as well。 There is a lot about the time period that was interesting to learn about。I was easily enveloped in the story。 It is a quick read with characters that are all fully developed。 I found the story to be very character-focused and I could imagine the town and people that were there as well。 I quite enjoyed the relationship between the four sisters and the exploration of that。 。。。more
Rameela （Star）
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Thank you to fierce reads for the eARCInitial Thoughts: This was so well written and was so well executed and honestly I still have to process how much I enjoyed it and appreciated it
Lisa Mandina
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So to be honest， I have never read the book Little Women， and until the newest movie came out， what is it two years ago now？ I hand never seen a movie either。 I knew the story only a teeny tiny bit， enough to kind of read the retelling that Anna Todd did， and enough that I was definitely intrigued on this #ownvoices take。 Now one reason I never read it， I might have tried， but the writing style used in the story is not one that I usually enjoy that much。 But， as much as that was a little bit neg So to be honest， I have never read the book Little Women， and until the newest movie came out， what is it two years ago now？ I hand never seen a movie either。 I knew the story only a teeny tiny bit， enough to kind of read the retelling that Anna Todd did， and enough that I was definitely intrigued on this #ownvoices take。 Now one reason I never read it， I might have tried， but the writing style used in the story is not one that I usually enjoy that much。 But， as much as that was a little bit negative for me reading this， the way the author told the story and the time period and characters and all of that totally kept me in to the story and really enjoying it anyway。It was really interesting to see how the author wove in civil war history for the story。 What I really liked and something the author comments in the author’s note at the end is about how there is a lot of things we don’t know about history because of who has always been the one telling the story。 And who is left out。 I never knew about colonies like the Roanoke one， or anything like that。 There was also the pamphlet that one character had about getting sponsored to return to Liberia。 That was really interesting and made me think， a lot。 I think it was such a great idea to take a well known story like this and just fill in the different people and their time period。 While it had a lot of new things to learn and read and experience， having the Little Women aspect guiding the story was a way to keep it familiar and make it maybe easier to read。While Jo and Lorie have always been a sore spot for me， I like the way the author handled that situation in this book， without necessarily changing it to give me the HEA I wanted for the two of the， but still making it end so that I could smile at their story。 A really wonderful retelling that I can’t wait to share with my students in my library！Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature。 。。。more
Porshea DiMera
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Black girlhood is an undersung experience， especially in periods where most can only conceive of their oppression， such as the years of 1863-1866 covered in So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix。 We are lucky then that Bethany C。 Morrow， champion of Black girl to womanhood， helms this venerable entry into the lexicon， using her sharp observance in depicting the nuanced dynamic among the ladies of the March family behind the overwhelming challenges they face。It has never been easy to be a Blac Black girlhood is an undersung experience， especially in periods where most can only conceive of their oppression， such as the years of 1863-1866 covered in So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix。 We are lucky then that Bethany C。 Morrow， champion of Black girl to womanhood， helms this venerable entry into the lexicon， using her sharp observance in depicting the nuanced dynamic among the ladies of the March family behind the overwhelming challenges they face。It has never been easy to be a Black woman in Western society， yet we have never had any issue finding our joy。 For the March sisters: Meg， Jo， Beth， and Amy （in age order）， nothing brings them more joy than reveling in each other’s hopes and dreams， aiding these pursuits where they can。 For Meg， that means encouraging her burgeoning hopes of finding the ideal suitor in a community still finding its footing post-Emancipation with several prospects enlisting in the Civil War。 As the oldest March daughter， she’s the one most adept at gauging how their family’s talents and needs can best be met under the guidance of the mother， Minnie。 So when it comes to Jo’s possible pursuit of writing and romance， it is Meg who makes the suggestion that helps both Jo and Amy move closer to their dreams。 Amy， in typical youngest child fashion， cannot sit still such that even her untrained dancing catches the attention of a young white woman with a connection to a dancing academy in Boston。 She is excited to take on this opportunity despite the heartsickness it brings on being away from much of her family。 However， Boston may hold more than enough excitement to take matters of her heart into another direction entirely。 Kept home to treat a mysterious chronic illness， Beth tends to use her talent as a seamstress to explore the area around Roanoke Colony。 Yet， seeking better understanding for the disease that ails her may lead her onto the greatest journey of any March family member。Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate。org/2021/09/。。。 。。。more
Penny lurkykitty
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So Many Beginnings by Bethany C。 Morrow is a remix of Little Women with a Black March family， who has settled in the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island after their recent emancipation from slavery。 This book can be read and enjoyed on its own without previously having read Little Women。The time and place of So Many Beginnings make this story very interesting。 We see the perspective of a Black family as they transition from slavery to freedom， but still face prejudice and racism which affect the So Many Beginnings by Bethany C。 Morrow is a remix of Little Women with a Black March family， who has settled in the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island after their recent emancipation from slavery。 This book can be read and enjoyed on its own without previously having read Little Women。The time and place of So Many Beginnings make this story very interesting。 We see the perspective of a Black family as they transition from slavery to freedom， but still face prejudice and racism which affect their healthcare， living circumstances， education， wages and social status。The March girls have distinct personalities， strengths， interests and goals， yet are united by a strong bond of love and sisterhood。 I appreciated how Morrow hinted that one of the sisters was asexual and portrayed another's chronic illness， which presumably Sickle Cell Anemia。 I enjoyed these engaging， strong characters as they navigated momentous changes in society， personal relationships， and the transition to adulthood to find their place in the world。So Many Beginnings is well-written and meticulously researched and thus brings to light a setting and perspective in history about which we have not been taught。 I appreciated the author's note in which she sounds the alarm about how racism and white supremacy have caused the teaching of propaganda rather than history， and how these biases influence the treatment of Black people today。 #BookishFirst 。。。more
Raine McLeod
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I love the idea for this: a re-telling of Little Women where the family are living in a community of freed slaves during the American Civil War。 When the story was focused on the lives of the sisters rather than shoehorning in references/re-tellings from Little Women， it was powerful and compelling。 I particularly loved the change to Jo's disagreement with her potential publisher。 All in all， it was good， but a lot of it felt really held back by trying to stay "true" to the original。 The narrato I love the idea for this: a re-telling of Little Women where the family are living in a community of freed slaves during the American Civil War。 When the story was focused on the lives of the sisters rather than shoehorning in references/re-tellings from Little Women， it was powerful and compelling。 I particularly loved the change to Jo's disagreement with her potential publisher。 All in all， it was good， but a lot of it felt really held back by trying to stay "true" to the original。 The narrator was Adenrele Ojo and she was good; there were moments where the characters voices were indistinct， but it wasn't a hardship in any way。I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for free in exchange for an honest， voluntary review。 。。。more
Julie Anna
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Thank you to BookishFirst for providing me with a finished copy in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。So Many Beginnings is a remix of the classic novel Little Women that follows a Black family in America during the Civil War Era。 it takes place in the Freedmen’s Colony of Roanoke Island， a home for the newly emancipated， and where the March family settles and calls their home。I have previously read and loved Little Women， so when I saw this remix coming out I knew I had ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Thank you to BookishFirst for providing me with a finished copy in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。So Many Beginnings is a remix of the classic novel Little Women that follows a Black family in America during the Civil War Era。 it takes place in the Freedmen’s Colony of Roanoke Island， a home for the newly emancipated， and where the March family settles and calls their home。I have previously read and loved Little Women， so when I saw this remix coming out I knew I had to read it。 But what I found while reading So Many Beginnings is that this story works so well whether you’ve read the book （or watched the film） or not。 If you’re familiar with the story， you’ll find a very interesting twist on the story with additional themes that add many more layers to the original。 But if you’re not familiar with the story， you’ll still be able to understand the original characters and their story in this new setting。The original Little Women is very much a character-driven novel， so it was lovely to see their development and growth in such detail throughout So Many Beginnings。 If you’re familiar with the original， you’ll find that the March sisters have many of the same qualities that we’ve loved them for before。 But in this remix， we get to see their personalities and talents in a new way。 One of my favorite examples is Jo March， who uses her writing talent to help preserve her home and share the stories of the Black community。I found the time period that So Many Beginnings was set to be very significant as well。 While this book is set in the same timeframe as Little Women， being written from the perspective of a recently emancipated Black family in America makes this story very different。 And I find that this setting and perspective is one that’s been glazed over in history textbooks （or at least in mine） – the life of newly emancipated people in the civil war era。 How did these people fare in the North vs。 the South？ Where did they settle， and how？ What challenges did they face in their communities， as well as the prejudice that they continued to face？ While So Many Beginnings is a historical fiction retelling， many of these questions are answered as part of the extensive research the author completed on Black communities in this time period， thus opening the doors to conversations about our history and the stories less frequently told。Another point of conversation I noticed while reading So Many Beginnings was the different types of prejudice that they faced。 Although their colony was considered a safe option for them， the continued prejudice and biases they faced prevented advancement for things like their health， their community， and even things like their perceived education。 Bringing these issues to light demonstrates how long-lasting biases still impact us to this day; in many parts of the story where these situations occur， I could instantly make connections to modern-day examples。So in sum， I found So Many Beginnings to be much more than a retelling。 While this book presents Little Women in a new setting， it also provides perspectives very worthy of conversation。 I recommend this book whether you’ve read the original or not， and highly recommend it for schools and book clubs too。CW: （view spoiler）[Chronic illness， racism， slavery （hide spoiler）]You can find more of my reviews here: www。julieannasbooks。com 🖤["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more
Joyce
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