Marmee

A Novel

De: Sarah Miller

Narrado por: Kirsten Potter

From the author of Caroline, a revealing retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved Little Women, from the perspective of Margaret “Marmee” March, about the larger real-world challenges behind the cozy domestic concerns cherished by generations of readers and listeners.

In 1861, war is raging in the South, but in Concord, Massachusetts, Margaret March has her own battles to fight. With her husband serving as an army chaplain, the comfort and security of Margaret’s four daughters— Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—now rest on her shoulders alone. Money is tight and every month, her husband sends less and less of his salary with no explanation. Worst of all, Margaret harbors the secret that these financial hardships are largely her fault, thanks to a disastrous mistake made over a decade ago which wiped out her family’s fortune and snatched away her daughters’ chances for the education they deserve.

Yet even with all that weighs upon her, Margaret longs to do more—for the war effort, for the poor, for the cause of abolition, and most of all, for her daughters. Living by her watchwords, “Hope and keep busy,” she fills her days with humdrum charity work to keep her worries at bay. All of that is interrupted when Margaret receives a telegram from the War Department, summoning her to her husband’s bedside in Washington, D.C. While she is away, her daughter Beth falls dangerously ill, forcing Margaret to confront the possibility that the price of her own generosity toward others may be her daughter’s life.

A stunning portrait of the paragon of virtue known as Marmee, a wife left behind, a mother pushed to the brink, a woman with secrets.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Sarah Miller (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Interesting idea, snotty results

Thought it was a fascinating concept to hear Marmee’s thoughts after reading Little Women many times over the years. The author portrays Marmee as an angry woman with none of the sweet wisdom of the original character. This is Marmee without the “Peace that passes all understanding.” She is missing the love of Christ that tempered Marmee and made her such a loving mother.

The voice of the narrator is strident and scolding much of the time. If the voice was more pleasant, maybe the story wouldn’t be so off-putting.

I understand that these are Marmee’s personal diary entries; however she is quite focused on her rage.

A must read.

Excellent story! Kept well with the original little women, but expanded on the virtues of the real Alcott’s.

A mother's point of view

Having loved "Little Women" as a young women to rehear the story told from a mother's perspective now that I have daughters of my own added depth to the love of the original text. A superb job done of telling the clasic story.

Thoroughly enjoyed

I've actually never read Little Women, but I loved reading from Marmee's perspective. It does make me want to finally pick up the classic, as well as round out the experience with March (by Geraldine Brooks). Narration was excellent!

Wonderful Narration!

Had the hardest time trying to read this, but recognized it was going to be a great rendition of “Little Women” through Marmee’s point of view. So glad I jumped into the audio book. Incredible performance. Beautifully written story. I have always loved this story and its diverse characters, so this was a unique to me way to enjoy them again. Highly recommend! (Disclaimer: many years were shed!)

Beautifully Done

The retelling of this classic novel from the monarch of the family Marmee was genius - a must read❤

I learned so much

Thank you for writing this book. I learned a great deal about little women and the story behind the story. I also learned more about the Civil War than I thought I could. Information about the script. Exchange was extremely fascinating and I ask one of my history teachers if she could explain the exchange to me, and she couldn’t even explain it. So thank you for bringing that up. I teach a section of Civil War when I am, I am teaching black bird house by Alice Hoffman. I appreciate this book and I will listen to it again. To see what else I can learn.

Pleasantly surprised

Clever, passionate, honest and insightful. Mrs. March’s life of advocacy, motherhood, and not only finding purpose but giving others purpose move me in ways I have not been in a long time. She did Little Women justice and shared a rich perspective I didn’t know I needed.

Through Marmee’s eyes

It was a new way of looking at the little women family through fresh eyes. It seemed pretty true to what I Remember in the book. The reading was very well done you could definitely hear the empathy in the narrators voice.

Marmee

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Marmee. The reader was exceptional. Her ability to pronounce German was smooth and teachable. As a history buff, I was fascinated by Sarah Miller’s sequential accounts of events during the Civil War.