When I finished this book, I was satisfied with the story but impatient with the character of March, who seems to caught up in his own weakness and cause. A navel gazer to the nth degree who, even after his wartime experiences, never has a clue to the feelings or hopes of others and remains buried in hypocrisy. He seeks redemption while hiding his actions and thoughts, in direct contrast to what he preaches as a religious leader and discards the needs of his family from the beginning when he squanders his fortune. Throughout the book, the main character is called "Mister March;" never by his first name or first/last name combined. A reinforcement of how removed he is from life?

His Little Women seem better off without him.

Geraldine Brooks' writing is the saving grace of this story. Her characters are vivid and act consistently, even March. Her descriptions of the settings, too, are vivid. Was there ever a better description of the Mississippi River than "...water without sparkle or shimmer.........it sucks the light down and gives back naught."