A lovely sequel - Rated 
Good Wives picks up a few months after Little Women closes. Meg is about to get married and the other girls are on the brink of womenhood. It isn't all plain sailing though as the hopes and dreams of the girls aren't realised exactly as they thought they would be and tragedy strikes. I must have read this book a thousand times and I cry every time. Having said that, it is a heartwarming book and I every time I read it, I enjoy it even more!
"Good Wives", a charming classic - Rated 
"Good Wives" is the delightful conclusion to "Little Women", in which all four girls of the March family find peace and happiness after work and effort. I found it a lot more tragical than the first book,owing, I think, to the characters being older . Anyway, many parts of the book will make you beam with pleasure when, for example, you see how the March girls get over their faults and fight to improve. Meg is now happily married, though she learns that nothing can be perfect; Jo is quite successful with her published written works, but she still has some important worries in her mind; Amy has turned into a graceful charming lady although Beth has yet no ambition. Although it may make your eyes fill with tears, this book has also its happy moments and I'm sure you will learn many lessons that will turn very useful throughout your life. Cecilia (aged 13)
Subversive!! - Rated 
Now, not having read more than one other online review, I'm intrigued to see how this possibly can rate an average of five stars. Nostalgia for childhood reads must be the reason. I read this because, as a two-years-of-living-together "wife", I was curious to see what advice Alcott had to offer. And although there were some good pointers for successful couple-living, I was slightly nauseated by the way these girls all had to escew even what modest un-serious ambitions they harboured (writing "stories", speaking disparagingly about your own art passion)in order to devote life and attention to serving husband. The girls are either air-brained or addled by disease and the only one with some spunk is whipped into submission for being too "headstrong". Is it too much to expect that Amy could continue with her "dabbling" and Jo with her "little stories" as well as cooking dinner and arranging flowers and working in jobs you're overqualified for? I mean, could Jo not teach English instead of having to be Matron? OK, sorry, sorry, it is not a feminist marriage manual for adults. But if this is what little girls are raised on and adore and that occupies their minds, what message does it send about going for what you want and achieving your own goals? None! Mothers and fathers of girls, try Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy for a start, read it to your daughters, and let them digest something intelligent and wonderful instead of this outdated drivel. I have an old copy without publishing dates, but I almost suspect it of being 1950's homemaker propaganda.
Just Perfect - Rated 
Good Wives begins three years after the end of Little Women and continues the story of the Meg, Jo Beth and Amy. It is beautifully written, wonderfully encouraging and moral without being too patronising. It is so much deeper than Little Women and one of the few books that makes me cry every time. A great read.
Great sequel to one of the best books ever written - Rated 
Good Wives is the sequel to the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It pictures the four March sisters as grown-ups, looking towards the future. It is both sad and happy, and it gives a deeper insight into the girls' personality. I loved this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who read Little Women.
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