Who else read and loved “Little Women” multiple times, raise your hands? When I was a girl, I practically slept with this book under my pillow. Now, 100 years after “Little Women” was published debuts “Meg and Jo” in which the characters return for a modern day version of the beloved classic.
Meg and Jo
I don’t know how many times I read Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” but it had to be a dozen or more. I was obsessed with the story, and in particular the character Jo who I imagined myself to be (in my lively fantasy world). I would be the awkward but good-hearted aspiring writer with self-doubt and a failed relationship that wrecked me but true love would come my way in the end.
What is it about this story that has touched so many of us? It must be the strong characters themselves and the way they came together in the face of adversity. This is also the case in “Meg and Jo.”
Because my memory of the novel is still fresh in my mind after all these years, I could appreciate the way author Virginia Kantra took the essence of the characters and modernized them to fit today’s world. All the characters from the original book make an appearance, but the novel is mostly about the relationship between Meg and Jo and how they come together when their mother falls ill.
Meg and Jo themselves seem familiar: practical and unruffled Meg, the Jo who is still trying to find herself, and the other two sisters are much the same as well. Beth, still sweet and shy, is pursuing a career in music, and spoiled and glam Amy is in Paris completing an internship with Louis Vuitton.
The novel focuses primarily on Meg and Jo, and I understand the author is working on her next book called “Beth and Amy.” So B and A take a back seat in this novel, while Meg and Jo struggle with their personal lives and their responsibilities to others.
Each chapter alternates with Meg’s and Jo’s points of view.
I LOVE that Jo is now a food blogger, living in New York and working part-time as a prep cook for a restaurant called Gusto where the chef’s name is Eric Bhaer, lol. Jo, who thought her degree in journalism meant the Big Apple would greet her with open arms, is crushed to find out how hard it is to succeed as a writer. Jo reviews the New York restaurant scene on her blog, Hungry, but keeps it secret since Chef Bhaer dislikes food bloggers and Jo does not want him to think less of her.
Meg is married to John and has adorable twins and a lovely home, just what she had dreamed for. She left her job as a loan officer once the babies were born. Having stayed in her hometown, she is the one geographically closest to her parents and therefore falls into the role of caretaker when needed. Yet she is restless. Is there more to life than being a super wife, daughter and mommy?
Marmee is now Abby March, the matriarch who runs the farm in North Carolina while Mr. March, a pastor, is away. Abby assumes multiple roles as farm worker, bill payer, mega-manager of all things, and of course the glue that keeps the family together. Mr. March, like most of the men in this version, is not particularly likable, and it falls to the women to get things done.
“Meg and Jo” is light reading, an enjoyable romp, and a perfectly timed holiday present with the opening of the latest movie version of “Little Women” this holiday season. And if you’ve never read “Little Women” (gasp) you don’t need to have the background in order to understand the story.
It is nice to see these characters come alive once more, like greeting old friends after being apart for too long.
One of my lucky readers will receive a copy of “Meg and Jo.” Please leave a comment on the Books is Wonderful Facebook page, and a winner will be randomly selected. US addresses only, please.
I received a copy of “Meg and Jo” from Berkley Books for an honest review, which is the only kind of review I write.
