March Sisters

April 8, 2019
In this thoughtful essay collection, four contemporary authors explore their relationships to the title characters of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Each focuses on the sister who holds particular significance for them, considering how their attitude toward the character has changed as they’ve grown from “little women” themselves into adults. Bolick (Spinster) recalls initially finding Meg March “yawningly familiar, the quintessential good girl of morality tales” until she found herself, like Meg, feeling utterly out of her element at a party. Similarly, Zhang (Sour Hearts) felt irritated by Jo March’s “boyishness” and “impetuousness,” but then, as she matured, unearthed deeper layers in the character. Machado (Her Body and Other Parties) finds common ground with the doomed Beth March through her own history of childhood illness, while Smiley (Golden Age) stirringly defends the oft-maligned Amy as the epitome of a “modern woman” and “thoughtful feminist.” In addition to sharing literary insights and personal histories, the authors also discuss the extent to which the Marches resembled and diverged from their real-life models: Alcott’s own sisters. Any readers who have ever compared themselves to Meg, Jo, Beth, or Amy—or to all four—will enjoy seeing Alcott’s much-loved classic through these alternate perspectives.

May 15, 2019
Louisa May Alcott's fictional sisters still captivate contemporary readers. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Little Women, four writers offer thoughtful reflections about the famous March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Journalist Bolick (Becoming a Hairstylist, 2019, etc.) recalls that when she was young, Meg seemed unappealing to her, "the quintessential good girl of morality tales," defined by her prettiness. Alcott's message, Bolick decided, "was that pretty is a prison. If, like Meg, you are pretty, you can't also be a writer, or an artist." As an adult, though, Bolick came to realize that rather than represent sharply contrasting identities, the sisters need to be taken as a whole "to embody different aspects of the female experience," inviting the reader "to imagine herself into a variety of personalities." Poet and fiction writer Zhang (Sour Heart, 2017, etc.) recounts her changing responses to Jo, whom at first she hated for "her boyishness, her impetuousness, her obliviousness" to "feminine preening," and her lack of interest in romance. Yet as she dedicated herself to writing, perhaps at the cost of marriage and children, Zhang came to understand--and to share--Jo's ambivalence about her choices. Essayist and fiction writer Machado (Her Body and Other Parties, 2017) considers Lizzie Alcott, Louisa's sister and the model for modest, undemanding Beth. Lizzie, though, was hardly sweet and docile but instead "snarky and strange and funny and kind and suffered tremendously and died angry at the world." Transformed into a literary character, she has been effaced. "How do you keep other people from making you a Beth?" Machado wonders. "How do you stay out of other people's stories?" Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Smiley (Golden Age, 2015, etc.) considers Amy, who, as the youngest, learns to be observant, flexible, and practical. More than her sisters, Amy "goes about shaping her life in a conscious manner"; she becomes, for Smiley, a "modern woman." Besides focusing on Amy, Smiley offers a sensitive assessment of Marmee's mothering, which often reveals a surprising lack of empathy. Fresh readings of a much-loved classic.

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June 7, 2019

For the past 150 years, Louise May Alcott's Little Women has fascinated readers of all ages. This collection features essays by four authors who analyze a character from the novel with whom she most identifies. Bolick (Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own) recalls stressing over her looks and clothing choices, qualities she associates with Meg, as the beauty-conscious March sister. Similarly, Jenny Zhang (Sour Hearts) reveals her connection to the fearless Jo in her struggles to be accepted as a writer. Zhang's mother often flew into rages, unlike Marmee who always remains patient despite Jo's outbursts. Both mothers do, however, agree that their daughters should never show anger. Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties), who was often ill during childhood, understands Beth and explores her resemblance to Alcott's second-youngest sister Lizzie. Finally, Jane Smiley ("Last Hundred Years" trilogy), who first admired Jo the most, came to see Amy as the most modern and savvy of the sisters, pointing out that instead of doggedly pursuing her independence as Jo does, Amy is more political, working to make the best of her situation. VERDICT Recommended for readers seeking a new look at this much-loved classic, the source of Alcott's inspiration, and how contemporary authors have seen themselves evolve over time.--Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

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