Review: Meg and Jo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Meg and Jo is a retelling of the story of the March sisters of Little Women fame. While it has more romance elements in it than I might typically go for, I was surprised by just how good it is — having recently reread Little Women as part of a #BookFairyReadathon for my blog I can say I heartily enjoyed this novel. Many of the things that Kantra brings to the reader's attention, about the gender stereotypes and what women are supposed to tolerate from their men, and their lot in life, are thoughts I had while rereading Alcott's novel.
Jo March is a food blogger. She was writing for a newspaper but was laid off. She's taken a job as a prep chef in a high-end NYC restaurant working under a chef named Eric Bhaer. Eric doesn't like food bloggers, so Jo's monetized side gig is a big secret. Meg March Brooke is now a stay at home mom, after getting a degree and working in a local bank for a time. She is struggling with the reality that she'd both like part-time work for diversion but also the added income. She misses feeling productive in ways other than as a wife and mother. John, her husband, left a job he loved (teaching, coaching the high school wrestling team) to take a sales job at a car dealership owned by Teddy Laurence. He's making better money but misses his former position. He wants Meg to be able to stay at home, an opportunity his own mother never had when raising him. Beth March is in college but takes a leave of absence to join Colt Henderson's, a famous country star, show in Nashville. He loves her music and wants to produce her work. Amy March has been in Paris, trying to make headway in the fashion industry. Then finally, there is Mrs. March, holding her family's goat farm back from the brink of disaster. Like farmers everywhere in the US, she is struggling and mired in debt. Only Meg is close by to give her a hand, and when Mrs. March's health deteriorates, their father, who has never been good at the intimacy thing, can't see that his family needs him more than those he's ministering to in D.C.
The novel is well-written and examines many of the more modern dilemmas women face through the lens of sisterly love, support, and rivalry. I'd recommend it for anyone who has recently read Little Women and felt a lack of connection to the Victorian era norms for women. While I think that reading this book without the context of Little Women might give a misleading impression of the March family and Mr. March in the original (he's not much of a presence but is not the negligent fellow that Kantra envisions, either), this book would be a terrific book club selection paired with Louisa May Alcott's original novel.
Meg and Jo is an excellent audiobook narrated by Shannon McManus and Karissa Vacker. The two voices really highlight the distinct characters of Meg and Jo for the listener.
I received a Digital Review Copy from Berkeley through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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