March

March, by Geraldine Brooks, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction just a few years ago. I selected it on that basis, but was surprised to read on the jacket cover that it is essentially a fan fiction book. March draws its inspiration from Little Women. I was read aloud Little Women as a child, but I remember nothing from it. I was a bit skeptical going into this book.

As it turns out, my ignorance of Alcott's works had little impact on my experience throughout the book. Brooks follows the story of Mr. March, the absent father in Little Women, as he serves as chaplain to the Union army during the Civil War. Along the way he sees the ravages of war and sees the span of beliefs towards slavery and African-Americans. Along the way, he is shot but heroically rescued. The rest of the book comes mostly from his wife's point of view as he struggles to hold on to his life.

March is a well-researched historical fiction, probably more suitable to fans of Alcott's books, but still accessible to anyone. Brooks clearly possesses a gift for writing. I found the discussions surrounding slavery and the rights of African-Americans to be the most interesting part of the book. March meets people on all points on the spectrum on both Union and Confederate sides. He also befriends many African-Americans, serving as their pastor and teacher.

I mostly enjoyed this book. It still surprises me that this book earned a Pulitzer Prize - it doesn't seem to be of the same calibre as other Pulitzer winners I have read over the past few years. I would recommend this book to fans of Little Women and historical fiction.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

(91/100)