Search - March

A beautifully written book, but some passages are tough to get through as it realistically portrays the horrors of war as seen through the eyes of the partriarch of Little Women's March family. Chaplain March is a dreamer who nearly loses everything in search of serving a higher purpose. Those of us who grew up loving Little Women will not recognize the marriage (or miscommunication and sometimes the lies told to hold it together) of Chaplain and Mrs. March. I would recommend this as a selection for a book club as there is much in it worthy of group discussion. Geralding Brooks does an outstanding job in her research for this book and it shows in her details. However, it lacks the warmth and charm of Alcott's novel.

the author has created a story about Mr.March, the father in Little Women. she used many resources to create this wonderful yet brutal story. set during the Civil War,March joins the army from Concord as an older man and a preacher. he finds himself in one difficult situation after the other. this book is not for the queasy as it descibes the brutality done to the slaves. the story is told thru letters home to Marmee and fist person narrative that goes back and forth in the times of his life. another good one by this author.

I enjoyed this historical fiction set in the early 19th century and in the early years of the U.S. Civil War. I liked reading about the Underground Railroad, John Brown, and the transcendentalist movement (Thoreau, Emerson). I think it helps to have read Little Women first so March's descriptions of his wife and daughters become more familiar.