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A review by linesiunderline
More to the Story by Hena Khan
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What a lovely story of sisterhood and family this is. It’s gentle, heartwarming, and offers fans of Little Women plenty of pleasing echos and moments of recognition along the way.
The four sisters in the Mirza family are meant to remind you of the March girls, which for this bookworm, was an immediate draw. There’s Jameela, our heroine who dreams of a career in journalism; Maryam, the eldest, responsible, studious and beautiful; Bisma, gentle, loving and sensitive; and Aleeza, artistic and fiery and frankly, kind of whiny. It took no time at all to realize who corresponded to whom (especially thanks to the way Khan named her characters using the same first initials as Alcott’s girls).
I appreciate how the author captured a similar kind of closeness and feeling of love in this family as we find when we read Little Women. While I don’t think the four Mirza girls come across as being as fully realized as the March sisters, you feel and believe in their connection. I also enjoyed spotting memorable moments of the original plot being remade in this novel. I do find myself looking for those in a “remake” and perhaps the author could have included even more parallels.
Getting a glimpse into the ordinary daily life of this Pakistani American family was the real pleasure of the book. Khan also incorporates some important introductory conversations around microaggressions through an article that Jameela is working on for her school paper.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I wanted more. More family moments where the girls’ characters came to life, more of Jameela, so that she could feel as central and alive as Jo, and more story overall. Bisma’s cancer was the primary focus and in my opinion, the novel ended too soon. I get that Alcott’s book was five times as long, so the author had to narrow her scope.
This is a satisfying, gentle interpretation of a much loved classic that I would happily pass to any reader who adores the March sisters.
The four sisters in the Mirza family are meant to remind you of the March girls, which for this bookworm, was an immediate draw. There’s Jameela, our heroine who dreams of a career in journalism; Maryam, the eldest, responsible, studious and beautiful; Bisma, gentle, loving and sensitive; and Aleeza, artistic and fiery and frankly, kind of whiny. It took no time at all to realize who corresponded to whom (especially thanks to the way Khan named her characters using the same first initials as Alcott’s girls).
I appreciate how the author captured a similar kind of closeness and feeling of love in this family as we find when we read Little Women. While I don’t think the four Mirza girls come across as being as fully realized as the March sisters, you feel and believe in their connection. I also enjoyed spotting memorable moments of the original plot being remade in this novel. I do find myself looking for those in a “remake” and perhaps the author could have included even more parallels.
Getting a glimpse into the ordinary daily life of this Pakistani American family was the real pleasure of the book. Khan also incorporates some important introductory conversations around microaggressions through an article that Jameela is working on for her school paper.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I wanted more. More family moments where the girls’ characters came to life, more of Jameela, so that she could feel as central and alive as Jo, and more story overall. Bisma’s cancer was the primary focus and in my opinion, the novel ended too soon. I get that Alcott’s book was five times as long, so the author had to narrow her scope.
This is a satisfying, gentle interpretation of a much loved classic that I would happily pass to any reader who adores the March sisters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
CW: microaggressions (challenged), death of a parent of a secondary character