March Sisters reminded me of my love for Jo and how much I hate Amy


MEG'S FROCK SHOCK by Kate Bolick- Sadly, my least favourite of the essays in here. It wasn't necessarily terrible but I was never interested in Meg in LITTLE WOMEN and this essay's pace was lagging and writing style the least engaging to me out of all the essays in here. Interesting points on women and clothes though, just not for me. 2 stars.

DOES GENIUS BURN, JO? by Jenny Zhang - This is one of the very best essays I've read in my LIFE. The depth of the analysis, the passion, the burn of this essay came right through and I was completely absorbed. I'm now desperate to read every other word Jenny Zhang has ever written. 5 stars!



A DEAR AND NOTHING ELSE by Carmen Maria Machado - Mother of dragons, the RESEARCH that went into this essay, I'm in awe. 4 stars. I had no idea how Louisa May Alcott based Beth in LITTLE WOMEN on her own sister Lizzie who also died tragically young from scarlet fever related symptoms. But whereas Alcott wrote Beth as purely good - "a dear and nothing else" - Machado reveals through her research how the real Lizzie was angry and complicated and hated her tragic fate. Machado also draws on complicated parent and children relationships, being sick but not feeling sick enough, and just so many things. Loved it, 4 stars!

I AM YOUR "PRUDENT AMY" by Jane Smiley - Look, this was an interesting analysis and argument of Amy being more of what a "modern" feminist looks like today but the argument fell a bit short. Plus, I've always hated Amy and will always hate Amy so although Smiley tried valiantly, no words could convince me of Amy's misunderstood goodness  and feminism when I still remember the rage I felt over both reading and watching (watching it happen was even worse) her brat-from-hell behaviour throughout LITTLE WOMEN as well as the spite and cruelty she was full of when she burnt Jo's writing.  3 stars for the essay, 0 stars for Amy.


the most important and divisive question of all time...who's your favourite march sister??