March

                                        

March by Geraldine Brooks. A must-read if you read and liked Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I was hesitant to read this book, afraid that the March family name would be defamed. And it was, a little - which turned out to be a very interesting and good thing. For anyone who has read Little Women or seen the movie, Mrs. March is made out to be motherhood perfected. March brings her back down from her sainthood status to just one of us - a person with faults.

If you decide to read this book, I'd actually recommend reading the afterward first. It will help to set up the book because you learn here about where (and who) Brooks got the inspiration for the character of Mr. March (since he missing for the most part of Little Women).

The author writes perfectly for the period (Civil War) and gives a great voice to the slaves in the book. The way she paints the picture of slavery makes it seem like you are there and are fighting the cause.

One of the things I love most about the book is that it's unpredictable. Just when you think you know what's going to happen with a character, Brooks surprises you. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who like Civil War books, the topic of slavery, Little Women, or just good stories.