User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Read my review of this book on my blog, The Quiet Pond.
An incredibly wholesome and wonderful middle-grade story about illness, pursuing your ambitions, and family and sisterhood.
- Follows Jameela, a Pakistani Muslim girl who has to deal with some pretty tough stuff in her family while also taking on the big responsibility of being features editor at her school's newspaper.
- At its heart, this is a story about sisters and family, and how we get through tough times together and by supporting each other.
- The story also explores friendship, and how our ambitions can sometimes hurt the genuine relationships we have with others. I think this book explores Jameela's mistake wonderfully, and in a way that is empathetic with great lessons.
- Although this story deals with illness (specifically lymphoma) and no one dies, this book was so wholesome and lovely, and is mostly about what we can to help and support the people we love through a tough time.
Trigger/content warning: (view spoiler)
[cancer (lymphoma), side character's death of parent, racist microaggressions (challenged) (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
Book 11 completed for #RamadanReadathon🥺💗🥺💗🥺💗a muslim middle grade retelling of Little Women 🥺💗🥺💗🥺💗
this is so bloody precious 😭😭😭
Rating: really liked it
I didn't even read the description of this one. It was just one that I decided to pick up because I love what Hena Khan did with Amina's Voice. It's one of my favorite middle grade novels. Color me shocked to find out that this is an adaptation of Little Women and it was done so well. This, of course, is no surprise because it's Hena KhanMore to the Story feels like a story done in with two major themes in mind. One that focuses on the interconnectedness of sisterhood and another that focuses on understanding empathy, kindness, and friendship. The story itself is told from Jameela's point of view as she struggles with her relationships with her three sisters and her place on the school newspaper (she's had conflict with a member of the writing team for a while). As she aspires to be a great writer, Jameela writes an article about a family friend that ends up putting their relationship on the line. It is through this misstep that she learns the importance of empathy and friendship over ambition. At the same time, she's dealing with an illness that is impacting her younger sister.
One of the strongest parts of this book is the character development. Jameela is a not a perfect character. She not only struggles with respect and empathy in regard to her sisters, but she also struggles with this in regard to her friends at school. There are moments when her desire to be a great journalist outshine decisions she should make to protect those that she cares about. She has a really rocky relationship with her sisters that often turns into arguments and hurt feelings. But as the novel progresses, Jameela grows. It takes a few accidents/mishaps for her to realize the error of some of her decisions, but Khan allows her the space to grow with thoughtfulness and grace. Jameela is attempting to balance a lot: coping with the fact that her sister is extremely ill, her reputation working on the school paper, and the absence of her father due to work commitments. Every struggle that she encounters and every lesson that she learns when she can no longer handle that balance makes her into a more relatable character for middle grade readers.
Khan has a way with words and it's that ability that has attracted me to her works as a reader. There is an ease to the way in which she writes that makes the text accessible and easy to read. This doesn't take away from the story, but it broadens the amount of readers that would be able to enjoy her work. This is another book that has a plot, but it is more about the character development and the relationships that are created amongst characters. Their dynamics affect the way events happen and how they end up reacting to them. And for the length of this book, Khan is able to do a lot.
Overall, this was a great middle grade novel. It was both a refreshing and fun take on Little Women. You don't have to read Little Women in order to enjoy this story. I've never read it and it didn't detract from my reading experience.
Rating: really liked it
So definitely, truly (and of course in my humble opinion), with regard to her 2019 novel
More to the Story being approached and considered as a modern 21st century middle grade retelling and reimagining of Louisa May Alcott’s classic
Little Wonen, author Hema Khan has in my humble opinion done a great job.
For indeed and delightfully so, Khan’s four Pakistani-American Mirza sisters, they sufficiently do textually mirror Louisa May Alcott’s four March sisters that one can without any doubt whatsoever and very easily see and also pleasurably appreciate the many, the multitude of
Little Women parallels in
More to the Story, namely the general set-up of
More to the Story and that family is first and foremost and as such all important even if or when there are sibling squabbles and rivalries, that Hema Khan’s four Mirza girls, that Aleeza, Jameela, Bisma and Maryam certainly and obviously correspond both emotionally and even rather physically to Louisa May Alcott’s Amy, Jo, Beth and Meg March, that Bisma’s lymphoma in
More to the Story of course rather mirrors Beth’s illness in
Little Women (but fortunately without a resulting tragedy) and that there are also some important and difficult lessons presented in
More to the Story for in particular main protagonist Jameela Mirza to take to heart and learn, such as the necessity for integrity with regard to her writing, just like this is indeed also the case for Jameela’s counterpart in
Little Women, just like this is equally the case for Jo(sephine) March. And yes and finally, the occasional incorporation by Hema Khan of entire passages from
Little Women into
More to the Story, this is for and to me both utterly delightful and also demonstrates how
More to the Story is not just a wonderful retelling of
Little Women in and of itself, but also and clearly a solid textual homage by Hema Khan, by an author who (like me) has obviously always adored both
Little Women as a novel and Louisa May Alcott as its author.
But fortunately and thankfully, Hema Khan also puts more than enough themes and details into
More to the Story which are novel, which are rather and often even completely different from
Little Women, thus textually rendering
More to the Story into an original story and not simply into a total carbon copy of
Little Women, with Khan showing a clearly modern, contemporary narrative, and one that is also dealing with important issues such as for example both overt and passive racism (even towards the children of immigrants, so that in
More to the Story Jameela might well feel American and Ali might well feel British as they were both born in the USA and England respectively but that even many of their friends and acquaintances still often will consider them as being first and foremost foreigners) and above all with Hema Khan making Aleeza, Jameela, Bisma and Maryam into their own persons, into practicing Muslims, into Americans of Pakistani background and not into Louisa May Alcott’s March girls wearing a thin veneer of modernity and ethnicity (and indeed, even though in
More to the Story, I do sometimes tend to find Bisma as a character not as engagingly lovable as Beth is in
Little Women, I do in fact also appreciate that Bisma is portrayed by Hema Khan as more than a bit differently than Beth, and that for
More to the Story, Bisma works really well as a foil to her three sisters and that it sure makes sense for her not to be the all encompassing but doomed ministering angel that Beth March is in
Little Women).
So yes, four solid stars for
More to the Story, and indeed, the only reason for
More to the Story not being five stars is that I do tend to consider the ending a bit abrupt and leaving readers hanging, in other words, I really wish that Hema Khan would give us a bit more information in particular regarding Bisma’s health and how her fight against lymphoma is progressing (and as such, I also rather hope that there will be a sequel to
More to the Story).
Rating: really liked it
I ADORED THIS BOOK from the very first sentence–I just knew it would be good. And I was right.
More to the Story is a heartwarming, charming middle-grade novel about sisterhood, family, and following your passion. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a wholesome, riveting middle-grade book. This book would be perfect for fans of
The Vanderbeeker series and
Amina’s Voice. Read my full review on my blog.
Thanks to the author and Salaam Reads for an ARC of this novel.
Rating: really liked it
4.5* A heartfelt, wholesome read and an absolute delight from start to finish.
This was a truly wonderful, modern day Little Women retelling. The story superbly explored topics such as family, religion, race, microagressions, childhood ambition and illness in a way that was brilliantly accessible to readers, both young and old and I adored the cleverly written parallels between the two stories.
This book has the power to be as moving, impactful and memorable to young readers as the original story and I hope it gets just as many tv/movie adaptations in the future (it deserves it.)
TW: Racist microagressions (challenged)
Rating: really liked it
So wholesome and lovely. I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Friendships, sisterhood, togetherness, family and love. ❤
Rating: really liked it
This Muslim Little Women retelling was absolutely stunning!
Rating: really liked it
This was such a lovely book about four sisters in a Muslim family dealing with some difficult things! I loved the main character, Jameela, and her relationship with everyone in her family. From her over-protectiveness of Bisma, to her constant fights with her youngest sister, Aleeza. I also loved how passionate Jameela was about writing and journalism.
All the other characters were also fantastic tbh. Even though the book is fairly short, all the characters were well-developed! I especially loved Ali, and his relationship with all of the sisters. It's so rare to see good rep for Muslim boys in fiction, and Ali was the sweetest!
I highly recommend this one!
Rating: really liked it
This was a very good retailing of a classic book! Taking inspiration from Little Woman but still making it her own, this was as heartwarming as the original and such a sweet middle grade that had some serious moments as well with sickness and such.
Rating: really liked it
A very sweet middle-grade retelling of Little Women. I'm glad I read it straight after the book that inspired it so I could pick out the easter eggs. This would be lovely for young readers 10-13.
Rating: really liked it
I'm writing this review far too late, but what else is new. I loved
More to the Story, even as someone who doesn't read a lot of middle-grade. I did go into it expecting something light and fluffy, but it evoked such fierce emotions within me - especially because one of the main threads re: illness hit so close to home, I felt like I was re-living parts of my childhood. Khan dealt with looking at serious topics through a child's eyes brilliantly. I loved Jameela and her relationship with her family, and I truly appreciated Khan giving her complexity that allowed her to grow throughout the course of the story.
I made a little note while reading my copy that "little Aimal could have done with this story when she was going through something similar," and I think therein lies the true value of stories such as these. Please read this. :)
initial reaction: i signed up for cutesy wholesomeness, then got punched in the gut a few times because this hit a little too close to home. but i loved it. 🥺
I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Although based on Louisa May Alcott's beloved Little Women, Hena Khan's juvenile fiction novel takes readers on a journey that's both new and informative. Following the antics of a close-knit American Muslim family, readers will learn about culture, customs, and holidays that give a sense of purpose and meaning to a group that is often misrepresented and misunderstand. Books can serve as windows to another culture and even create empathy. That's just what More to the Story does. Fan's of Little Women may enjoy this new, modern tale, but it's also a must read for fans of Wendy Mass and Raina Telgemeier.
I was fortunate to receive a free ARC of this book from Netgalley. The above thoughts, insights, or recommendations are my own meek musings.
Rating: really liked it
This heartfelt, contemporary story about four Muslim American sisters in Georgia was inspired by Little Women and is a really fun read for fans of that classic book. I loved picking out the imaginative ways that Hena Khan paid homage to Little Women in updated, realistic ways. Instead of getting upset about missing out on the theater, for example, the youngest sister feels it's unfair that her sisters get phones and she doesn't have one yet.
Hand this to fans of family stories that center around sibling relationships like Jeanne Birdsall's THE PENDERWICKS or Dana Levy's THE MISADVENTURES OF THE FAMILY FLETCHER. Young readers interested in writing or journalism are also a great audience for this book.
Rating: really liked it
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Jameela is pleased that she has been named the features editor of her school paper, even though she is in 7th grade, and doesn't get along well with Travis, an 8th grader who is editor. Her grandfather was an investigative reported, and she wants to follow in his footsteps. She wants to make her father proud, and stand out from her three sisters a bit. Things are a bit rough in her household since her father lost his latest contract job with the Center for Disease Control, and there have been lots of whispered parental conversations about this. When he gets a new contract, to set up a unit in a hospital in Abu Dhabi, it's good that there is income, but the family will miss him. Jameela has an honorary aunt and uncle who spend time with the family a lot, and they have a nephew, Ali, staying with them. Ali's mother and younger sister are still living in London, but are relocating to the US after the death of the father. Ali is a lot of fun, and a year ahead of Jameela at middle school. When she gets a chance to interview him for the paper, she has the focus of the article be microagressions, which the two had discussed. Ali doesn't want this article to be published, and Jameela reluctantly agrees. The article does appear, and it turns out to be a misunderstanding with Travis over files. It's a good article, but Ali is deeply hurt. Adding to her tension is the fact that Bisma, her younger sister, has been diagnosed with leukemia and is undergoing treatment while her father is out of the country. Luckily, Jameela has a strong family and friends to help her through these difficult times.
Strengths: I love this author's Zayd Saleem series, and the depiction of family gatherings and extended family (whether related or not) is strong in this one as well. Like Varsha Bajaj's new Count Me In (which deals with much more series racial issues), this novel breaks down a current topic of concern, microaggressions, in a way that middle grade readers can understand. There is also the father's job difficulties and the sister's cancer, but the book revolves around how these things affect Jameela, which is how middle grade readers (and really, most of us!) process difficult situations. Despite the heavy topics, this never gets soggy sad, which I appreciate. I love the cover-- this illustrator doesn't seem familiar, but has just the right tone for middle grade.
Weaknesses: The Columbus Dispatch just laid off a significant amount of its staff, including my favorite columnist, Joe Blundo, so I am loathe to encourage students to pursue careers in journalism. I know there has been a resurgence in journalism classes in high schools because of concerns with "fake news", but I have still not gotten over not being able to find a job teaching Latin (after 25 years!), so fear for students who pursue their dreams that are sure to get dashed to the ground.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and think this will do well with all manner of readers.
