Starred Review It's 1863, and though the war between the Union and the Confederacy rages on, there is a distinct peace the March sisters hold in the knowledge that they are on the other side of the old life, of slavery. In this reimagining of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, Morrow invites readers into the lives of four emancipated sisters living in the freedpeoples' colony of Roanoke Island in North Carolina. Meg's ultimate desire is a family of her own; Jo gives voice to the newly emancipated through her powerful, opinionated writing; Beth uses her extraordinary seamstress skills to make beauty from painful relics of the past; and Amy masters dance styles once considered off-limits to Black people. Together, they wonder, is freedom something to be simply declared? Or is it a mindset to be learned and practiced? While readers will recognize shades of the original text, Morrow's exploration of notions of freedom, voice, and worthiness becomes far more powerful when enmeshed with the experiences of being Black, a woman, and formerly enslaved. The lyrical air of joy in the sisters' relationships is also heightened by the uniqueness of their journeys and the support they give one another along the way. Morrow's ability to take the lingering stain of slavery on American history and use it as a catalyst for unbreakable love and resilience is flawless. That she has remixed a canonical text to do so only further illuminates the need to critically question who holds the pen in telling our nation's story.

Gr 7 Up-In this skillful retelling of Little Women, Morrow reimagines the lives of the Alcott sisters through multiple lenses. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are four African American sisters rebuilding their lives after the Civil War. Meg wonders if her dreams of a husband and home are out of reach. Jo needs to find the courage to use her voice to further the cause of saving the colony built by the newly emancipated. Beth's health issues may require an unimaginable trip, and Amy simply wants to chart her own course through the medium of dance. The bonds of sisterhood are tested amid the backdrop of a country trying to forge a new path forward. Although the chains of slavery have been removed, the sisters find that they are still operating under a system that considers them not up to the task of governing their own lives. The constraints of class, race, gender, and the fragile nature of emancipation affect all four sisters in different ways. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy support one another as they summon the courage to continue rebuilding and forging a new future. Readers learn about the tenuous nature of Reconstruction, clashes between the newly emancipated and those born free, and the repatriation efforts of the American Colonization Society. The fragility of the hope held by emancipated African Americans is palpable in this narrative. VERDICT This title is ideal for public and school libraries looking for diverse retellings of classic stories. Desiree Thomas, Worthington Lib., OH