This Little Women re-telling set in 1863 was a breath of fresh air. Featuring a central core of family, So Many Beginnings examines ambition and love. Firmly rooted in history, oppression, and dreams So Many Beginnings is an emotional and tender story. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
North Carolina, 1863. As the American Civil War rages on, the Freedmen’s Colony of Roanoke Island is blossoming, a haven for the recently emancipated. Black people have begun building a community of their own, a refuge from the shadow of the old life. It is where the March family has finally been able to safely put down roots with four young daughters:
Meg, a teacher who longs to find love and start a family of her own.
Jo, a writer whose words are too powerful to be contained.
Beth, a talented seamstress searching for a higher purpose.
Amy, a dancer eager to explore life outside her family’s home.
As the four March sisters come into their own as independent young women, they will face first love, health struggles, heartbreak, and new horizons. But they will face it all together.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
So Many Beginnings, this historical fiction re-telling is firmly rooted in the power of the history and oppression of words. Packed with family and ambition, Morrow tells the story of four sisters with vastly different dreams. In many ways, So Many Beginnings feels like a slice of life. A moment of transition and change. New hopes and dreams, while still confronting the history and racism. The ways that even with ‘freedom’ they are still being spoken for and how names may change, but behaviors do not.
Morrow welcomes us into their lives to witness their paths diverging, their differences which peek out more and more. I loved how Morrow not only retained some elements of the original in So Many Beginnings, but also truly adapted it. There was so meaning and nuance introduced into this time period and their lives. Overall, I am just so impressed with this entire Remix series so far and So Many Beginnings definitely stands out. There’s a core of nuanced discussion about freedom, history, and racism.
And it’s also about how our dreams and lives change. What it means to live and what moving forwards means, what forms it can take. So Many Beginnings is heartfelt and I felt myself sinking into this book as I kept reading.
Find So Many Beginnings on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.
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