Stephanie Fitzgerald's Reviews > Belittled Women

4.5 stars
Warning to all “Little Women” purists:
This is not a re-telling of that classic novel!
Come meet the Porter family through the eyes of the middle daughter, Jo. Not Josephine, just Jo. She has an older sister named Meg, and a younger one named Bethamy. Yes, you read that correctly. Any of those names strike a literary chord, readers?
Teenage Jo would love to get out on the running track of her school in Concord, Kansas, and never stop running. She loves her mother, and sisters, but being a constant part of “Little Women:Live!”, is getting old. When her Louisa May Alcott-obsessed mom inherited a rambling old house and barn, “Marmee” Porter thought it would be perfect for staging beloved scenes from Alcott’s classic. After all, with a family of three girls, she already had the characters of Meg, Jo, and Amy ready, with no casting calls needed. (Yes, only three; even she was not willing to have a fourth baby just for a “Beth”.)
However, that was years ago. The excitement has been lost for the three teenagers, what with the school tours, production season from May to August, and a well-stocked gift shop to help run. And besides, these girls know they are nothing like the family in the book, and that that ancient tome couldn’t possibly have any relevance in today’s society…
Most Memorable Scene For Me:
The Porter family stages a play, just as the original Marches did. However, “Beth” plays not a piano, but a keyboard, for the background music. And I have not stopped laughing yet at the choices she played to introduce each character! No spoilers; you just have to read it!!
This book is definitely intended for a mature Y.A. audience or older. There are references to drinking. drugs, and sex. (Hence my 4.5 star rating.)
I will certainly purchase a copy of this one when it releases .