Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott-504 pages (paperback)

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Goodreads Synopsis: Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth--four "little women" enduring hardships and enjoying adventures in Civil War New England

The charming story of the March sisters, Little Women has been adored for generations. Readers have rooted for Laurie in his pursuit of Jo's hand, cried over little Beth's untimely death, and dreamed of traveling through Europe with old Aunt March and Amy. Aspiring writers have found inspiration in Jo's devotion to her writing. In this simple, enthralling tale, Louisa May Alcott has created four of American literature's most beloved women.

In her enlightening, thoughtful introduction, Elaine Showalter discusses Louisa May Alcott's influences and her aspirations for Little Women, as well as the impact the novel has had on such women writers as Joyce Carol Oates and Cynthia Ozick.

Thoughts: I didn't read this earlier in life for school or for pleasure. I was interested to read this, though, as our next choice for the Book to Movie Club. It's well written and a decent story, but I didn't find myself very excited about the story or very invested in the story and characters until the final 100 pages or so. That said, I'm not mad that I read it. It's a decent read, if a little long.

The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot

The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot - 348 pages

In this novel by Tracy Groot, inhuman acts and their impacts are shown.  Using fiction to tell a story, Groot shows how the Andersonville Prison in Civil War Georgia had horrific conditions and how most Southerners had the mindset mistreating the prisoners was okay.  That said, a small group of citizens protested the conditions and did what they had to in order to help. 

Reading about the conditions in Andersonville reminded me of the conditions the Jews faced in the concentration camps.  However, those that took a stand show another side to the story; one of placing good before evil despite persecution. In all, I was happy with this book and thought it was well-written.