So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix
The cover depicts four African American girls outside of a Colonial-style house, wearing dresses in the style of the 1860s. They are posed together smiling
AuthorBethany C. Morrow
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SeriesRemixed Classics
Release number
2
GenreYoung adult, historical fiction
Set inNorth Carolina, United States, 1863
PublisherMacmillan Publishers
Publication date
2020-09-07
Media typePrint
ISBN9781250815507
OCLC1277274390
Preceded byA Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix 
Followed byTravelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix 
Websiteus.macmillan.com/books/9781250815507

So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix is a historical fiction young adult novel by American writer Bethany C. Morrow. The book was published by Macmillan on September 7, 2021, and is Volume 2 of the Remixed Classics series.[1]

Plot

Shortly after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, sisters Joanne, Bethlehem, Amethyst, and Margaret, and their mother live with other freedmen on a Roanoke Island colony, amid the backdrop of the Civil War.[2]

Background

Morrow was approached with the offer to write an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.[3] She worked to craft a story unrelated to the original novel that would reflect the concerns of an African American family in 1863, and made the Civil War central to the plot. Morrow heavily referenced Patricia C. Click's Time Full of Trial to inform her rendering of the historical events of the time.[1] She stated that the project represented her intention to "challenge the canon".[4]

Reception

So Many Beginnings received positive reception. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly said of the book, "a beloved story gains new meaning through the lens of enduring Black resilience, love, and hope."[5] Norah Piehl of Booklist praised the book in a starred review: "Morrow's nuanced take on what life was like for newly freed Black people at this time will prompt readers to reconsider the simplistic good vs. evil, North vs. South mythologies that characterize too many Civil War narratives."[6] In a less positive review, Rachelle Hampton of Slate wrote that "at times the book strains under the weight of educating, rather than entertaining" but also stated "that doesn't mean Morrow's version isn't without its own charms...She manages to make a familiar story entirely hers...their stories are their own and in some ways make Alcott's version more satisfying."[7]

References

  1. 1 2 Knight, Rosie (2021-09-08). "Bethany C. Morrow on Her LITTLE WOMEN Remix, SO MANY BEGINNINGS". Nerdist. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  2. ↑ "A New, Diverse Take On 'Little Women'". Jefferson Public Radio. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  3. ↑ Bates, Karen Grigsby (2021-09-12). "Little Women Remixed, But Not Reimagined". NPR. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  4. ↑ "Little Women Remixed, But Not Reimagined". Georgia Public Broadcasting. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  5. ↑ "Children's Book Review: So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-250-76121-7". PublishersWeekly.com. 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  6. ↑ Piehl, Norah (2021-07-27). "So Many Beginnings". BookPage. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  7. ↑ Hampton, Rachelle (2021-09-21). "What if the Little Women of Little Women Weren't White?". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
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