Discussion date: December 11, 2006

What we thought:

No one was wildly enthusiastic about this Pulitzer-prize-winner, with most people more or less in the middle, rating it 3 or 3.5, with a couple of 4s. We agreed the book is well-written and well researched, but some people had trouble getting into the story, and others found it too much of a downer to give it a high rating. The Alcott experts among us agreed that Geraldine Brooks had done a good job of conveying the personality of Mr. March (AKA Bronson Alcott), but there was some question about her unflattering portrayal of Marmee. We did especially like the character of Grace (the slave), although some didn't find her completely believable.

Reading Group Guide