Geraldine Brooks masterfully weaves a tale of life away from home for Mr. March after he leaves his “Little Women” to fend for themselves. As the local young men are gathered together before leaving to join the fight to save the Union, Mr. March is asked to say a few words. As he speaks, he repeatedly uses the word “we.” Looking up, he catches Marmee’s eye, and they both realize that he will be joining the boys.
In the course of the book, Mr. March returns to an area that he used to tour while selling goods door to door. He serves as chaplain and then, after an indiscretion, he is reassigned to Oak Landing, an area where liberated slaves are supposed to be protected and offered wages as they toil to bring in the cotton crop.
This is an intriguing story that brings the reader fact to face with war, slavery, incest, and adultery. What does Mr. March carry with him to remind him of his Little Women, who wait at home? When he returns home, battered and ill, will Marmee still feel the same about him? Will his LIttle Women?