Hello Meltingpot Community,
I remember when I first read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott back when I was a teen. (I also remember watching a made-for-TV version as well). I really identified with the character of Jo, because like her, I desperately yearned to be a writer and I wasn’t exactly the most girly of girls. I’m also a sucker for sister stories. So, basically, Little Women ticked all of my teen-age boxes, except one. As much as I related to the characters in Little Women, I just wished they could have looked like me.
Well, now they do!
A Multicultural Little Women
What would you call a multicultural version of Little Women? How about, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy? Yes, this full-color graphic novel, billed as a “modern retelling of Little Women,” by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo, features multicultural characters and a Mixed-Race family. Still, the basic storyline of the book is remarkably loyal to the original work.
In this updated version, the March sisters are part of a blended family. Mom is white and the single mother of a white daughter, Jo. She marries a Black man, who is the single father of a Black daughter, Meg. They then have two more daughters together, Beth and Amy. The March sisters have to bond together to get through the hard times as their father is deployed in the Middle East and mom is working around the clock as a nurse to support the family.
The story is set in Brooklyn and unfolds over the course of one year. During that year, each sister goes through her own growth and development, where some growing pains are more painful than others.
Multicultural, Modern and Colorful
I loved Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy so much. And I am not a fan of graphic novels, so this is high praise. The book is clearly meant for younger readers – babygirl read it too and she’s eight – but like the original Little Women, it has some very mature themes (Babygirl completely missed the entirety of Jo’s grappling with her sexuality.). Without giving too much away, I think the book could be an excellent selection for a young teen group to discuss issues of wealth disparity, blended families, sexuality and identity politics.
But if you’re like me, a fan of the original Little Women who just always wanted to see the story “in color,” you too will fall in love with Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy.
(PSA: If you are so inclined to buy a copy of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, please consider purchasing from Bookshop.org and support independent booksellers in this time of crisis. )
