2018 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. For devoted fans of the March sisters, I can think of no better book to add to your shelf than a new title by Anne Boyd Rioux– Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story Of Little Women and Why It Still Matters.  The book comes out  on Tuesday, August 21st.

Anne Boyd Rioux appeared on a panel I attended at the annual Summer Conversations series put on by Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts. Rioux, a writer and professor at the University of New Orleans, offered insights on the relevance of Little Women in today’s world and one of my favorite topics– where the Alcotts end and the Marches begin. Although Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy isn’t officially available yet, I was thrilled to be able to pick up one of the early copies being sold at Orchard House.

As a lifelong Little Women fan, Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy was pure joy to read.  If you spent your childhood struggling to decide who got to be Jo and who was Beth, this is the book for you.

Interview with Anne Boyd Rioux

Anne Boyd Rioux and I spoke about the book earlier this month.  I’m excited to be able to share our conversation as the first episode of the new “A Bookish Home” podcast. 

We discussed how fiction meets reality in the March sisters, Marmee’s relevance to mothers today, Jo’s impact on American women writers and much more. I hope you enjoy hearing Anne’s insights as much as I did!

Episode 1: A Conversation with Anne Boy Rioux, Author of Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy

I think you will really love Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story Of Little Women and Why It Still Matters. Get your library holds and bookstore orders ready! Anne Boyd Rioux is also offering some very exciting preorder giveways on her website.  You could win copies of Anne’s previous books, Little Women swag from Orchard House, and more. If you are looking for your next book club pick, there is also a special opportunity to have Anne virtually visit your book club if you order six or more books.

For more ways to embrace all things Alcott, check out my post: 18 Ways to Celebrate Little Women’s 150th Anniversary Year. Anne also mentioned that Little Women is a choice in the Great American Read from PBS. To learn more and find out how to vote visit another post Vote for “The Great American Read”!

I will have more interviews with authors, booksellers, librarians and more coming up soon on A Bookish Home, the podcast. You can subscribe in the iTunes Store to make sure you never miss an episode. And if you like the podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could submit a review to help people find it.

If you read Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy and enjoy delving into the world of the Marches as much as I did, reach out. You can find me on Twitter @ABookishHome.

Happy reading!