So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix (Remixed Classics, 2)
Late in the American Civil War, Meg, Joanna, Bethlehem, and Amethyst March, four young women on the cusp of adulthood, face an uncertain future in the Freedman’s Colony of Roanoke, where their family has made their home after escaping slavery. Although this retelling is based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women, there are many deviations from the original, making So Many Beginnings its own story.
The contrasts between Little Women and So Many Beginnings highlight the ways in which race makes a difference for these girls living in the same timeframe. For example, Meg’s concerns about marriage have a different cast when viewed in the context of families separated in slavery, and Amy’s “spoiling” also looks different when it comes as a result of her being too young to have endured the worst aspects of slavery.
The novel only occasionally gives us glimpses into life as enslaved persons. Bethany C. Morrow quite deliberately uses “enslaved” and “enslavers,” demonstrating repeatedly the difference in using those terms rather than “slaves” and “masters.” Instead, Morrow emphasizes the agency and ability of Black families to reclaim their lives on their own, and the barriers whites, both North and South, keep throwing up to stop them from becoming fully independent and equal.
The writing is impassioned and clearly tries to address some of the ongoing issues of race in America. Although it’s more expository and full of speeches than is generally enjoyable, and a little light on action, the thoughts and feelings of these girls illuminate conflicts, prejudice, and misunderstandings that linger on, giving insights on how to approach racism in the present that are rooted in empathy for these characters.
