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From Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic Little Women , Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March, and crafted a story "filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of one unforgettable man" (Sue Monk Kidd). With... read more

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Summary edit see section history

(From back of book) As the North reels under a series of unexpected defeats during the dark first year of the Civil War, one man leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. From Louisa May... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

(From back of book) As the North reels under a series of unexpected defeats during the dark first year of the Civil War, one man leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. From Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic "Little Women", Geraldine Brooks has taken the character of the absent father, Mr. March, who has gone off to war, leaving his wife and daughters to make do in mean times. From vibrant New England to the sensuous antebellum South. "March" adds adult resonance to Alcott's apotimistic children's novel. A lushly written, wholly original tale steeped in the details of another time, "March" secures Geraldine Brooks's place as a renowned author of historical fiction.

Characters/People edit see section history

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

  • Virginia
  • Oak Landing: An estate to which Mr. March is assigned to teach "colored" children
  • Georgetown: Where Mrs. March visits Mr. March who is gravely ill with a bilious fever and pneumonia

First Sentence edit see section history

This is what I write to her: The clouds tonight embossed the sky.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Part One
Chapter One: Virginia Is a Hard Road
Chapter Two: A Wooden Nutmeg
Chapter Three: Scars
Chapter Four: A Little Hell
Chapter Five: A Better Pencil
Chapter Six: Yankee Leavening
Chapter Seven: Bread and Shelter
Chapter Eight: Learning's Altar
Chapter Nine: First Blossom
Chapter Ten: Saddleback Fever
Chapter Eleven: Tolling Bells
Chapter Twelve: Red Moon
Chapter Thirteen: A Good Kind Man
Part Two
Chapter Fourteen: Blank Hospital
Chapter Fifteen: Reunion
Chapter Sixteen: River of Fire
Chapter Seventeen: Reconstruction
Chapter Eighteen: State of Grace
Chapter Nineteen: Concord
Afterword

Glossary edit see section history

  • butternut: A Confederate soldier or supporter so called because the fabric of the Confederate uniform was typically homespun and dyed with butternut extract
  • contraband: During the U.S. Civil War, a black slave who escaped or was transported across Union lines

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • Religion: Describe this theme.
  • Color: There is a strong juxtaposition between the colors of black and white. We see it in descriptions of characters and their clothes, both with good and bad people. The colors of black and white are even present in the descriptions of the sky and the surrounding environment. Both colors are used in the good and the bad sense leaving a miriad of questions concerning the lines of good and evil.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 2006 of 83 in Pulitzer Prize Winners - Fiction. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Gilead, and followed by The Road.

This is book 102 of 113 in Book Smart Reading List. (community list)

Preceded by Regeneration, and followed by The Red Badge of Courage.

This book is in KCPL Discussion Kit (Aug2010). (community list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Geraldine Brooks (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Viking
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN: 0670033359
Page Count: 285

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PR9619.3.B7153 M37 2005
  • Dewey: 823.914

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • American Bloomsbury

Books That Influenced This Book edit see section history

   
  • Little Women

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