Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra (Review by Madhura Mukhopadhyay)

Rating 4/5

Amy March has always been the baby of the family but, the downside of all the pampering is that no one has really expected her to achieve anything. Now Amy runs a successful business in New York City and never wants to go back to North Carolina. But when she is forced to return home for Jo’s wedding, she must make tough decisions, including telling her family about Trey.

Beth March is a country music star. To an onlooker, she has it all – fame, fortune and a superstar boyfriend. But coming home for Jo’s wedding feels like a respite. Perhaps surrounded by her loving sisters, she might be able to figure out if this life is really what she wants.

Virginia Kantra’s book ‘Beth and Amy’ is the second part of a modernized retelling of the much-beloved masterpiece Little Women. In her first book, ‘Meg and Jo’, Kantra focuses on the elder March sisters. Of course, the author takes creative liberties in her retelling – she imagines the March sisters as adults and in this modern age, but the joy and sisterhood that is so pervasive in the original classic is intact. Yes, Amy is self-obsessed and impulsive while Beth can be a bit of a sap. But take that up with Louisa May Alcott.

I was a little skeptical when I first started reading these two books, because why would you mess with perfection? But I enjoyed reading this book, as well as the author’s first book so much! It is easy to love this book, because not only is the world already familiar, but the characters feel like old friends who’ve really always been at the back of your mind. Reading this felt comfortable and reminded me of the times I sat curled up reading and re-reading Little Women.

If you’ve read and loved Little Women, I heartily recommend that you read this book and ideally start with the Book 1. It’s fun and feels like home.