Welcome to Table Notes. In these posts, I share the latest “Believe to See” podcasts, along with links to extra resources, and maybe an observation or two. Enjoy!
With the new film getting Oscar buzz, a couple Little Women fans join the table. Anselm author Emmy Houk and Lauren Capps explain what makes Little Women so special, and why the latest film was such a success.
The full episode:
Highlight: Lauren explains why the Amy from the 1990s movie was so awful.
Extra notes:
During the episode, we mentioned a biography about Louisa May Alcott. Here’s a link to that biography, which discusses her relationship with her mother.
As added bonuses, here’s an article about Alcott’s family, and its impact on her writing. And here’s an article about the latest film’s more-likable Amy.
Closing thought:
There’s a 2006 novel by Geraldine Brooks called March. It tells the story of John March (the dad in Little Women) when he’s away at war. Mr. March is a dreamy idealist who goes off to war with the high-minded purpose of abolishing slavery once and for all. What he finds instead is the brutal reality of war, and a shameful past he can’t seem to escape—despite the brave-faced letters he writes home to his girls.
I want to make this clear: I really like this novel. But if you have a deep attachment to Little Women, there’s a chance you’ll hate it. Without giving spoilers, a lot of Mr. March’s decisions will…not endear him to readers. But then again, if you love Little Women, but always thought Mr. March was weird, you might enjoy it. 🤷🏼♂️