Jo: An Adaptation of Little Women (Sort Of)

I have been hearing a demand for a queer version of Little Women for a long time, and, when I saw that Jo was coming out, I was very excited. After reading, my excitement felt validated. In this delightful adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, Kathleen Gros situates the narrative in a contemporary suburban setting, with Jo as the central character, trying to navigate one complicated school year with her three sisters, her overworked mother, and her mostly absent father.

On the first day back at school, Jo is invited to be a part of the school newspaper, the invitation coming from a young Black girl, Freddie, on whom Jo develops a crush. Halfway through the year, Jo also meets her new neighbor, Laurie, a young man who has moved in with his grandfather (and who develops a crush on Jo). The dramatic moments of eighth grade keep the story going overall, but Jo’s navigation of her sexuality is central, along with the development of her friendship with Laurie, and the absence of her father who is in the military and unable to tell the family much at all about where he is or what he is doing.

As Jo learns how to report the news and tell a compelling narrative for her journalism extracurricular, she falls more and more for Freddie. At the same time, Laurie falls more for Jo, until Jo is forced to confront her feelings, and she decides to come out to her family (and later, the whole school.) While all of this is happening, Jo’s sisters are having their own challenges: Meg is entering high school and has taken a job tutoring some other children who can be a bit of a challenge; Beth is recovering from leukemia and is learning to play the flute, though it is giving her some challenges; and Amy, the youngest, is getting the hang of some challenging new vocabulary and trying to deal with all of the changes taking place at home.

The storyline is woven together through the externalization of Jo’s internal self in the form of a blog in which Jo shares various important moments in her life during each chapter and introduces new characters and plot points. The whole narrative is busy, but compelling, and will keep young readers engaged through characterization, solid pacing, and beautiful illustrations that use a vibrant, but grounded palette, ensuring that Jo’s story stays situated in the real world even as it draws the eye to each page and frame.

This is a delightful adaptation (sort of) of Little Women that will be sure to delight young readers, fans of graphic novels, and even adults who have been keeping their fingers crossed for an adaptation that acknowledges the queer overtones of Alcott’s work. Jo: An Adaptation of Little Women (Sort Of) is an enjoyable, nuanced, and heartfelt graphic novel that deserves a place in libraries, classrooms, and home libraries alike!