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A review by book_concierge
Great or Nothing by Jessica Spotswood, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, Joy McCullough
3.0
This re-imagined Little Women set during World War II began when Jessica Spotswood posted a story idea she found daunting on Twitter. Her fellow authors joined with her to flesh out this story where Jo is queer and working in a factory, Amy has run away to join the Red Cross in London, Meg is a teacher and living at home with Marmee, and Beth watches over them all.
Each of the four authors assumed the story line of a different March sister. Spotswood wrote Meg’s chapters, Sharpe wrote Jo, Richmond followed Amy, and McCullough gave voice to Beth. I particularly liked how McCullough used poetry to show Beth following her sisters’ exploits.
With four authors, the four sisters had more equal roles than in the original work, which really focused on Jo. Having them each in a separate location helped, as they had fewer shared experiences. This was especially true for Meg and Amy.
And, while the time frame is World War II, this is NOT a soldier’s story, but more a story of how the women left behind dealt with their fears, and rose to the challenge of supporting those fighting overseas.
A favorite quote: A woman with ideas is terrifying to a certain kind of person.
Some libraries, including mine, have shelved this in the Young Adult section, others, as adult fiction. Jo’s relationship is depicted in way that is not at all graphic, but deals more with the feelings of love and connection between the characters.
Each of the four authors assumed the story line of a different March sister. Spotswood wrote Meg’s chapters, Sharpe wrote Jo, Richmond followed Amy, and McCullough gave voice to Beth. I particularly liked how McCullough used poetry to show Beth following her sisters’ exploits.
With four authors, the four sisters had more equal roles than in the original work, which really focused on Jo. Having them each in a separate location helped, as they had fewer shared experiences. This was especially true for Meg and Amy.
And, while the time frame is World War II, this is NOT a soldier’s story, but more a story of how the women left behind dealt with their fears, and rose to the challenge of supporting those fighting overseas.
A favorite quote: A woman with ideas is terrifying to a certain kind of person.
Some libraries, including mine, have shelved this in the Young Adult section, others, as adult fiction. Jo’s relationship is depicted in way that is not at all graphic, but deals more with the feelings of love and connection between the characters.