March (I don’t think the author gave him a first name) was a Union Army chaplain and describes a battle in which his unit is routed in bloody fashion. The book opens with a grim scene that sets the tone for the rest of the book. And, like Alcott’s father, he was friends with fellow Concord residents Emerson and Thoreau. March isn’t quite a radical, but he was very progressive – a passionate abolitionist, vegetarian minister who created his own version of Christianity. He was considered to be a radical, even establishing his own Utopian society. Interestingly, she used Louisa May Alcott’s father for inspiration. This gave the author a lot of blank canvas to work with and she painted a very creative portrait. It’s been a long time since I read Little Women, but I believe the dad’s role was limited – he was away at war, he sent letters, he was gravely ill in Washington DC, and then he came home. Who better to read about than the father of the March family? June’s assignment was to read a novel with a strong father figure because Father’s Day is in June (happy belated Father’s Day to all the dads out there!). I read March as part of the 2020 Thoughtful Reading Challenge. (This in no way affects the honesty of my reviews!) All commissions will be donated to the ALS Association.

As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links. It covers the year he spent in the Union Army during the Civil War, so it’s dark and heavy, but it’s also imaginative and well-researched and doesn’t shy away from tough topics and grim historical realities. March is a Pulitzer Prize winning story about CPT March, the father of the March family in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.

March by g brooks