Meg and Jo

I don’t know of another author who could do justice to Little Women. In a warm, realistic, and humorous voice, Virginia Kantra knocks it out of the park with Meg & Jo in this rich retelling of the beloved classic.

I confess, I went in to Meg & Jo with very little need for it to “match up” with the classic novel on which it is based because–don’t thrash me–I was never a Little Women superfan (read it eons ago and honestly only recall the basics). Therefore, my comments are not at all based upon a comparison of the two. That said, Virginia Kantra works her magic in this wonderfully warm story of family–more specifically of sisterly bonds and expectations, of love and duty, and of forgiveness (of others and ourselves and our own flaws), and of following one’s own path. The beauty of her attention to detail shines through in each scene, and I was very happily ensconced in North Carolina at the farm while there, as well as fascinated by the New York restaurant world with Jo. I absolutely loved the way Meg and John’s marriage was depicted–so realistic and such a reminder of how easy it is to misread and misunderstand the different ways that people show their love and commitment. If you are looking for a heartwarming story in which you will likely see yourself and those closest to you reflected in the characters, look no further. This book is for you!

This is a fun and imaginative re-telling of Little Women only loosely based on the original book. The similarities can be found in the individual characters and their relationships with each other, showing that some things never change – that love between sisters is as complicated as it is rewarding.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! Little Women became one of my all-time favorite reads when I was around fifteen. I spent three days holed up in my bedroom devouring it after my first real breakup. I cried, I laughed, and ultimately left my bedroom in a much better place than I was in when I started reading the book. Since then, I’ve read it countless times, and it never ceases to amaze me the things I pick up during the rereads. Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra doesn’t just live up to the original, but creates a new timeless classic for readers of all ages to enjoy. Told in dual POV from the two eldest March sisters, Meg and Jo is a contemporary retelling of the classic and, like the classic, follows the girls through life’s joys and hardships.

Jo March has hit rock bottom, or she believes she has, after losing her job as a journalist at a New York newspaper. Living a double life as a food blogger and prep cook in one of NYC’s top restaurants, Jo gets to enjoy two of her biggest loves: writing and food. However, her jobs are barely paying the bills. Something has to give because she refuses to give up on her dream and move home.

Meg is struggling to maintain her dream life. She has everything she could ever ask for: a loving husband, adorable twin toddlers, and a home. When her mother becomes sick, Meg quickly realizes that while everything looks good from the outside, she is crumbling on the inside. Her marriage isn’t what she thought it would be. She’s barely keeping up with the house chores and keeping up with the kids, now she’s trying to take care of her mom and the family farm.

I loved the dynamic of this story. Seeing the girls grown up gave a different perspective to the story and modernizing it makes it relevant to today’s problems. Adding in Marmie’s illness creates conflict for the sisters, forcing them out of their comfort zones and to fight for what they want in life. I absolutely adore Meg and John. They are a sweet couple who have hit a rough patch in their marriage. Not because they don’t love each other, but because that is life as parents, a constant adjustment to the age your kids are in. It’s hard, and I love how Kantra makes them a team. Jo’s Chef is amazing. I liked this twist. In the original, Chef is a professor, but here he is still her mentor, someone she looks up to and easily falls for, even if she resists it.

Overall, I loved Meg and Jo and cannot wait to dive into the sequel featuring the younger March sisters. Kantra did a fantastic job of staying true to the original story while also bringing her own style and narrative to the sisters. If you enjoy contemporary romance, family drama, and a heartfelt story, Meg and Jo is sure to please.

Lovely story of the March sister re-envisioned in modern day but retaining the warmth, humor, and magic of the original version. I really enjoyed this modern Jo, who stilled struggled with finding her path, but did so in a realistic, unseasoned, sometimes naive enthusiasm. The food blogger/sous chef struggling to find the words and the balance she needs was believable, and Meg’s modern take on a struggling housewife trying to revive interest from a husband who is himself dissatisfied by his own choices hits home for many women. Overall, a lovely retelling of a classic. Looking forward to seeing Beth and Amy’s tales this spring!

I enjoyed the modernized version of these beloved characters! … My favorites are Jo & Eric Bhaer. Jo is still a bold and literary-loving dreamer, who struggles to find her place in the world and always leads with her heart. Professor Bhaer is rendered as a big-hearted chef, who rules his kitchen staff with kindness, has super-pumped arms covered with clever tattoos, sees the heart of Jo (more so than even some of her family members), and simply loves her … Meg and John go through the adjustments of young marrieds, continuing to grow in their knowledge of each other and commitment to their marriage … In this version, the girls gather together at Christmas to support Marmee, who is experiencing a health crisis. And, sadly, Father is more like Louisa May Alcott’s real-life father–distant, taking his wife for granted, more interested in his high-minded philosophy than any practical way of supporting the daughters who need him … I was drawn to this author’s voice and devoured her story pretty quickly. I look forward to checking out part 2 of the March sisters in future.

As a huge fan of Little Women, this book did not disappoint. I loved the familiarity of the beloved characters that I was first introduced to in Little Women, the story portrays the family members different enough that I was enthralled to discover the newness of them, too. This books is primarily about Meg & Jo (thus the title), but Beth and Amy do appear in the story. I absolutely loved it.

I listened to the audio version of the book. I loved this story. If you are really looking for a strictly modernization of Little Women with the plot running parallel to the old, you should forget it and go read something else. If you are a little more open minded and just take it to be a book on it’s own, it is very enjoyable. To be honest, I really don’t remember Little Women that well, so it was just a great story for me. Keep in mind also, that it is a romance.
Jo was my favorite character. She’s had disappointments and is certainly struggling a little with life, but she is also making the most of it. I found her relationship with her father very interesting and liked the changes that took place in her feelings about him. I absolutely loved her relationship with Eric. It plucked all the right heartstrings.
I’m really hoping the author takes on the stories of the other two March sisters!

/ 5

Full disclosure, I read Little Women a very long time ago and honestly don’t remember much about it, but that didn’t stop me from loving Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra!

I listened to the majority of the book on audio and I really loved the narrators. I ended up listening at 1.75 speed which was apparently perfect, and their voices were still very understandable. The narrators were both amazing, but I especially love the voices Meg’s narrator did for her twins. I would gladly listen to either of these amazing women (Shannon McManus and Karissa Vacker) on any other audiobooks. I’m not sure I would have loved the book as much as I did had it not been for them really bringing Meg and Jo to life for me.

I’m not a huge fan of the fact that the cover of Meg and Jo promotes it as a retelling, the synopsis and readers guide say it was inspired by Little Women and I like that description much better. It’s a re-imagining of these characters and I really liked what Kantra did with them, although as I said, I don’t remember much about Little Women. I also don’t think you have to have read Little Women in order to read Meg and Jo. If you are a fan of contemporary novels that are inspired by other books I would still recommend checking this out.

Meg and Jo has some romance, some tears, and some downright strong female characters. I loved both Meg and Jo, and Jo’s feistiness really made this book for me. At first I wasn’t sure I would like it all that much, but as I got into it I became really invested in the characters and by the time I was done I was in love with it. It wasn’t quite as funny as I had hoped it would be (funny seems to be the case with a lot of retellings), but I still laughed plenty of times and gasped a couple as well.

Song/s the book brought to mind: We Are Family by Sister Sledge

Final Thought: I read a little under the last 100 pages and the whole time I was reading I could hear the narrators from the audiobook in my head reading. This has never happened to me before, so I am chalking that up to amazing narration. I got pretty teary during Meg and Jo so I would have some tissues nearby if you are the emotional type like I am. I haven’t seen many 5-star reviews, but for me it was a real winner and I cannot WAIT to read the next book, Beth & Amy.

Thank you to Edelweiss for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I love this book so much that I almost went back to the beginning to read it again as soon as I finished it. I identified so much with Meg’s struggles as a stay-at-home mom determined to keep everybody happy and stay relevant. Then there is Jo, the struggling writer who is determined to make her own way in all the noise of our modern world.

The book hits on the common insecurities of women today in a way that is reassuring and motivating. We can move through any life stage with our own grit and the right support from loving family and friends.

It’s not necessary for one to have read Little Women to appreciate this novel. It was fun to draw the parallels, but the story completely stands on its own.