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A review by simoneandherbooks
Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra
3.0
This is one of those books I'll have to come back and read again. Because while I totally loved the story of modern Meg and Jo, I couldn't stop thinking about Little Women and this book isn't Little Women. It's like taking the characters and some of their personality traits and setting them in a different world, different time period, and almost different people. It's still a great story, but if you're still stuck in the 19th century then all you can see are its flaws and that's never fair.
So even before I start sharing what this book is about, keep this note in mind; this is not Little Women. It might as well be a major coincidence that these characters share the same name and some of the same traits, but this is not Little Women. Honestly, I think if you've never been exposed to Little Women, then you might like this story more.
Meg and Jo is split between the two eldest sisters of the Little Women pack (there's a Beth and Amy book coming out soon) in a small town in North Carolina. Meg is a young mom of twins who's finding life as her mother to be a lot tougher than she anticipated. Her husband, John Brooke, could be better about lending a hand every once in a while, but Meg couldn't burden him with more work than he already has on his plate despite wanting to return to full time work. Jo is a writer who moved to New York to pursue her journalism career. However, with the recession and layoffs, Jo is having a hard time being a writer in the big city so she takes a job as a prep cook at Gusto, a famous Michelin star restaurant run by Chef Eric Bhaer. While not at the restaurant, she spends her time eating out and writing about it on her food blog. When their mother falls ill, Meg and Jo start to help her out around the house only realizing some bigger truths about their family that shakes their existence.
The book is written in alternating perspectives with some overlap when Meg and Jo are in the same room. Most of the book is set after Jo moves to New York. The events of this book include snippets from the original Little Women like Amy falling into the ice and Jo burning Meg's hair and going to balls (or the prom in this case). But they're all told as memories than actually happening.
I feel like there's a lot lost in this book because of its modern setting. I always wondered why no one did a retelling of Little Women and I think the biggest challenge is losing some of the themes in the book that really wouldn't translate to today. While women are still fighting for equality in all parts of their life, the gap between men and women is much smaller than it was in the 19th century. I can think of ways Virginia Kantra could have stuck closer to the original by bringing up some more modern issues, but I can understand her choice to go the route she did.
Concerns about the original story aside, the book is really good. The writing is casual and flows and I think one of the major themes of Little Women lingers throughout; growing up. For the most part, this is a book about realizing the truth about their family, their relationships, and even themselves. Meg is realizing her mother isn't the powerhouse woman she always admired. She wants more in her life than her husband and children. She loves them both dearly, but her people pleaser attitude keeps her away from her true feelings. Jo realizes her father isn't entirely the stand-up and proud person that she always loved in him either. While much of her story is close to the original, there are some changes that really change your perspective of Jo. Both of them realize that their family is growing up and spreading out across the country and the world. There's a lot of mental and emotional growth here that I really enjoyed seeing for both Meg and Jo.
It is quite the cozy book and because the book is set between Thanksgiving and New Years, it's really the perfect book to read during the Holidays. I had quite a difficult time trying to find the perfect cozy holiday book last month and I wish I knew to pick up this book and read it. It's such a cute story with lots of growing up and it really made me happy.
But I've gone goofed because my brain wanted this to be the same Little Women I remember and it was something completely different. When you're not thinking about Little Women, this is such a great story that's well written and perfect for the holiday season. So I'm giving this a three-star rating not because I didn't like it but because I wasn't prepared for it. I'll definitely be rereading this one and keeping in mind that it's not Little Women; it's Meg and Jo.
I received a copy of this book from Berkley for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
So even before I start sharing what this book is about, keep this note in mind; this is not Little Women. It might as well be a major coincidence that these characters share the same name and some of the same traits, but this is not Little Women. Honestly, I think if you've never been exposed to Little Women, then you might like this story more.
Meg and Jo is split between the two eldest sisters of the Little Women pack (there's a Beth and Amy book coming out soon) in a small town in North Carolina. Meg is a young mom of twins who's finding life as her mother to be a lot tougher than she anticipated. Her husband, John Brooke, could be better about lending a hand every once in a while, but Meg couldn't burden him with more work than he already has on his plate despite wanting to return to full time work. Jo is a writer who moved to New York to pursue her journalism career. However, with the recession and layoffs, Jo is having a hard time being a writer in the big city so she takes a job as a prep cook at Gusto, a famous Michelin star restaurant run by Chef Eric Bhaer. While not at the restaurant, she spends her time eating out and writing about it on her food blog. When their mother falls ill, Meg and Jo start to help her out around the house only realizing some bigger truths about their family that shakes their existence.
The book is written in alternating perspectives with some overlap when Meg and Jo are in the same room. Most of the book is set after Jo moves to New York. The events of this book include snippets from the original Little Women like Amy falling into the ice and Jo burning Meg's hair and going to balls (or the prom in this case). But they're all told as memories than actually happening.
I feel like there's a lot lost in this book because of its modern setting. I always wondered why no one did a retelling of Little Women and I think the biggest challenge is losing some of the themes in the book that really wouldn't translate to today. While women are still fighting for equality in all parts of their life, the gap between men and women is much smaller than it was in the 19th century. I can think of ways Virginia Kantra could have stuck closer to the original by bringing up some more modern issues, but I can understand her choice to go the route she did.
Concerns about the original story aside, the book is really good. The writing is casual and flows and I think one of the major themes of Little Women lingers throughout; growing up. For the most part, this is a book about realizing the truth about their family, their relationships, and even themselves. Meg is realizing her mother isn't the powerhouse woman she always admired. She wants more in her life than her husband and children. She loves them both dearly, but her people pleaser attitude keeps her away from her true feelings. Jo realizes her father isn't entirely the stand-up and proud person that she always loved in him either. While much of her story is close to the original, there are some changes that really change your perspective of Jo. Both of them realize that their family is growing up and spreading out across the country and the world. There's a lot of mental and emotional growth here that I really enjoyed seeing for both Meg and Jo.
It is quite the cozy book and because the book is set between Thanksgiving and New Years, it's really the perfect book to read during the Holidays. I had quite a difficult time trying to find the perfect cozy holiday book last month and I wish I knew to pick up this book and read it. It's such a cute story with lots of growing up and it really made me happy.
But I've gone goofed because my brain wanted this to be the same Little Women I remember and it was something completely different. When you're not thinking about Little Women, this is such a great story that's well written and perfect for the holiday season. So I'm giving this a three-star rating not because I didn't like it but because I wasn't prepared for it. I'll definitely be rereading this one and keeping in mind that it's not Little Women; it's Meg and Jo.
I received a copy of this book from Berkley for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.