Book Review for Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, Jessica Spotswood

 Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough,Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, Jessica Spotswood 

Hardcover, 400 pages

Publication: March 8th 2022 by Delacorte

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Retellings, Young Adult

 

From Goodreads:  A reimagining of Little Women set in the spring of 1942, when the United States is suddenly embroiled in the second World War, this story, told from each March sister's point of view, is one of grief, love, and self-discovery.

In the spring of 1942, the United States is reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor. While the US starts sending troops to the front, the March family of Concord, Massachusetts grieves their own enormous loss: the death of their daughter, Beth.

Under the strain of their grief, Beth's remaining sisters fracture, each going their own way with Jo nursing her wounds and building planes in Boston, Meg holding down the home front with Marmee, and Amy living a secret life as a Red Cross volunteer in London--the same city where one Mr. Theodore Laurence is stationed as an army pilot.

Each March sister's point of view is written by a separate author, three in prose and Beth's in verse, still holding the family together from beyond the grave. Woven together, these threads tell a story of finding one's way in a world undergoing catastrophic change.

My Thoughts:  I love retellings and I adore Little Women.  The bonus is it is set in the WWII era, which is one of my most favorite eras.  The March family is affected by WWII just like the rest of the world.  They have lost Beth to death and the rest of the other girls try to find their way in a world full of war, hurt, and excitement.  The girls all go their own way and I love seeing them find their ways, find they way to make a difference, but it hurt to see them all divided from their family.  They were so close as a family.

Usually, Jo is my favorite character but in this retelling, I found myself anxiously awaiting Amy’s story.  The way she grew up, the places she went, the things she did was amazing.   Her grit, her strength, and her power to want to make a difference made her my favorite in this book.  I was excited to see how her story would turn out and hoped for the best.  As she made new friends, ran into old friends, and lived in a world that she had only dreamed about I saw her grow and find a way to become her own person. 

I highly recommend adding Great or Nothing to your TBR list.  This retelling is wonderful.

**Thank you Random House Children for a copy of the book via NetGalley for my honest review.

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