Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

DISCLAIMER: Review may contain spoilers and is too personal to be fit for anything else!

One of the things I remember VERY clearly about Good Wives, apart from the fact that it completely mesmerised me, is how much I cried when I finished reading it. Yes, I cried myself to sleep much and woke up with a burning fever! That's how much this book had touched me!

I was heart-broken because of what all happened in it: the death of a favourite character, the sacrifice of love and the shattering of hearts. To my fourteen year old mind, why Jo married a different man than the man she grew up knowing and loving was a complete mystery! It was only when I grew up and looked at my relationship with my best friend, I realised what Jo and Laurie were all about.

"We were a boy and girl then! We're a man and a woman, now..."

Yes, those words make more sense now than they did back then! I wondered back then, probably because I was influenced by too many romantic comedies, why Jo needed anyone when she had Laurie, who was perfect, who was amazing, and who was the best guy around. Looking back, I realise, a Jo always needs a Mr Bhaer. She has too much fire in her to deal with more fire. Her energy, her wit, her talents need channelising so that she can realise her true potential and become her best.

A Laurie, meanwhile, though he depends on Jo for little things like support and a push towards the right direction, always needs an Amy- that tender, dreamy, simple little girl with enough ambition but not too much fire.

Makes PERFECT sense now!

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