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A review by melanie_books
Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra
4.0
Meg, mother of two beautiful children & wife to a hard-working husband, can't help feeling like she's missing something, despite having everything she ever wanted. Jo, an aspiring writer with a food blog, is working at a restaurant to make end's meet for a chef who hates food bloggers. As the sisters navigate their mother's sudden medical crisis, their worlds begin to change in very unexpected ways.
Having just read [and adored!!] Little Women, I was excited to see what a modern-day retelling would be like and I was not disappointed! I felt like the author kept the integrity of the story the whole way through (which seems hard to do, if other retellings I've read are anything to indicate), even in little details from the original, while still making it modern and fresh. She starts the retelling about half-way through the original story (which I thought was a great choice) and utilizes a few flash-backs to tell the classic stories from the girls' childhood & teenage years.
I loved how this version honored family, just like the original did. It showed what a beautiful partnership marriage can be. She also addresses how important fathers & husbands are to a family by juxtaposing two fathers - one who is detatched and one who is very engaged. I loved Meg's journey to freedom from being the perfect, "do it all" mom/wife/sister/daughter to being someone who could be okay with asking for help or not having to all together. Jo is always a little lost - until she finds her niche and discovers what she really wants and what she can bring to the world. Both sisters' stories felt authentic and relatable, making it not only a fantastic retelling, but a great read in its own right!
All that to say, I loved it, and I can't wait for the sequel!
Having just read [and adored!!] Little Women, I was excited to see what a modern-day retelling would be like and I was not disappointed! I felt like the author kept the integrity of the story the whole way through (which seems hard to do, if other retellings I've read are anything to indicate), even in little details from the original, while still making it modern and fresh. She starts the retelling about half-way through the original story (which I thought was a great choice) and utilizes a few flash-backs to tell the classic stories from the girls' childhood & teenage years.
I loved how this version honored family, just like the original did. It showed what a beautiful partnership marriage can be. She also addresses how important fathers & husbands are to a family by juxtaposing two fathers - one who is detatched and one who is very engaged. I loved Meg's journey to freedom from being the perfect, "do it all" mom/wife/sister/daughter to being someone who could be okay with asking for help or not having to all together. Jo is always a little lost - until she finds her niche and discovers what she really wants and what she can bring to the world. Both sisters' stories felt authentic and relatable, making it not only a fantastic retelling, but a great read in its own right!
All that to say, I loved it, and I can't wait for the sequel!