Marmee

A Novel

De: Sarah Miller

Narrado por: Kirsten Potter

From the author of Caroline, a revealing retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved Little Women, from the perspective of Margaret “Marmee” March, about the larger real-world challenges behind the cozy domestic concerns cherished by generations of readers and listeners.

In 1861, war is raging in the South, but in Concord, Massachusetts, Margaret March has her own battles to fight. With her husband serving as an army chaplain, the comfort and security of Margaret’s four daughters— Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—now rest on her shoulders alone. Money is tight and every month, her husband sends less and less of his salary with no explanation. Worst of all, Margaret harbors the secret that these financial hardships are largely her fault, thanks to a disastrous mistake made over a decade ago which wiped out her family’s fortune and snatched away her daughters’ chances for the education they deserve.

Yet even with all that weighs upon her, Margaret longs to do more—for the war effort, for the poor, for the cause of abolition, and most of all, for her daughters. Living by her watchwords, “Hope and keep busy,” she fills her days with humdrum charity work to keep her worries at bay. All of that is interrupted when Margaret receives a telegram from the War Department, summoning her to her husband’s bedside in Washington, D.C. While she is away, her daughter Beth falls dangerously ill, forcing Margaret to confront the possibility that the price of her own generosity toward others may be her daughter’s life.

A stunning portrait of the paragon of virtue known as Marmee, a wife left behind, a mother pushed to the brink, a woman with secrets.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Sarah Miller (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Interesting idea, snotty results

Thought it was a fascinating concept to hear Marmee’s thoughts after reading Little Women many times over the years. The author portrays Marmee as an angry woman with none of the sweet wisdom of the original character. This is Marmee without the “Peace that passes all understanding.” She is missing the love of Christ that tempered Marmee and made her such a loving mother.

The voice of the narrator is strident and scolding much of the time. If the voice was more pleasant, maybe the story wouldn’t be so off-putting.

I understand that these are Marmee’s personal diary entries; however she is quite focused on her rage.

A mother's point of view

Having loved "Little Women" as a young women to rehear the story told from a mother's perspective now that I have daughters of my own added depth to the love of the original text. A superb job done of telling the clasic story.

A must read.

Excellent story! Kept well with the original little women, but expanded on the virtues of the real Alcott’s.

Unique

Unique take and writing style for the Little Women story. I believe it's important to already know the story of Little Women to appreciate this book.

A Nice Addition

How I have loved the Little Women series over the years! Visiting the house in Concord was absolute delight. This story gives a wonderful insight into the character of Marmie as a wife, mother, and influencer in the community.

Beloved Marmee!

Loved this story so much! Couldn’t stop listening to it & hated for it to end.

Outstanding

This book is a treat for anyone who has loved Little Women, though it could easily be read on it's own. Marmee's story intersects often with the events of the novel, but the focus is on her own experiences, and they stand on their own.

As a character, Marmee is wonderful, but to me she has always seemed like an ideal- not perfect, but reasonably close (the author's note touched on the reason for this). This story gives a picture of her own worries and struggles, making her far more real and relatable while in no way tarnishing the familiar, beloved character.

One of my favorite aspects of the story was her unfolding relationship with the Hummels. In the original novel they were more of a faceless poor family receiving help (and I don't say that as a critique, as the March girls' interaction with them was limited). In this novel, they live and breathe as people, not just a generic charity case.

The narration was outstanding, capturing the full range of emotion beautifully.

*I'm not usually one to give trigger warnings but it's worth noting that this book has repeated and heavy themes of miscarriage, stillbirth, and child loss.

Beautifully Done

The retelling of this classic novel from the monarch of the family Marmee was genius - a must read❤

I learned so much

Thank you for writing this book. I learned a great deal about little women and the story behind the story. I also learned more about the Civil War than I thought I could. Information about the script. Exchange was extremely fascinating and I ask one of my history teachers if she could explain the exchange to me, and she couldn’t even explain it. So thank you for bringing that up. I teach a section of Civil War when I am, I am teaching black bird house by Alice Hoffman. I appreciate this book and I will listen to it again. To see what else I can learn.

Pleasantly surprised

Clever, passionate, honest and insightful. Mrs. March’s life of advocacy, motherhood, and not only finding purpose but giving others purpose move me in ways I have not been in a long time. She did Little Women justice and shared a rich perspective I didn’t know I needed.