Thought-Provoking Book Club Questions for Meg and Jo
- patricecarey8
- Dec 4
- 3 min read
The March sisters—reliable Meg, independent Jo, shy Beth and stylish Amy—have grown up to pursue their separate dreams. When Jo followed her ambitions to New York City, she never thought her career in journalism would come crashing down, leaving her struggling to stay afloat in a gig economy as a prep cook-slash-secret food blogger.
Meg appears to have the life she always planned—the handsome husband, the adorable toddlers, the house in a charming subdivision. But sometimes getting everything you ever wanted isn’t all it’s cracked up to be...
When their mother’s illness forces the sisters home to North Carolina for the holidays, they’ll rediscover what really matters.
One thing’s for sure—they’ll need the strength of family and the power of sisterhood to remake their lives and reimagine their dreams.
Quick Review of Meg and Jo
This contemporary adult retelling of Little Women captured my heart. I loved the update on how Meg and Jo might fare in the modern world as well as the book’s complex family relationships, multi-faceted motivations, and plot twists. My only complaint is about the only-sort-of-acknowledged problems with Jo and Eric’s work/romantic relationship, along with the speed of their dating and engagement. But . . . I’m willing to overlook that because I love everything else so much.
Alert! Intriguing Discussion Ahead
I encourage book clubs to move beyond questions like, “What did you like/dislike about the book?” and “Who was your favorite character and why?” My discussion questions typically focus on ethical and moral dilemmas, book scenarios applied to real life, and character motivations.
Book Club Questions
Jo dislikes Bunion, her North Carolina hometown, feeling like it traps her into a small life. Have you ever felt similar about somewhere you’ve lived? How does Jo’s perspective change by the end of the book? Do you feel like her decision to stay in North Carolina makes sense?
In the original Little Women, Jo marries Professor Eric Bhaer, and they start a school for boys. In this retelling, Jo ends up pregnant with Eric’s child, and she and Eric get engaged. Do you feel like this change fits with the other modernized aspects of the story? If not, how do you think Jo’s story should have ended?
Ashton March is passionate about serving those in need, particularly veterans, but his service comes at the expense of caring for his family. Have you or a loved one ever gotten too caught up in a noble cause? What was the effect on the family members involved? In your opinion, how should those in caring professions or volunteer roles balance their service with family responsibilities?
Over the book, Jo becomes disillusioned about her relationship with her father, but she still recognizes the meaningful ways he contributed to her life. In your opinion, is Ashton March a good or bad father? Have you had to navigate a similarly complex relationship with a parent?
Abby March constantly refuses help from others, preferring to handle the farm and her health problems on her own. She passes this mindset down to her daughters, particularly Meg, and the book demonstrates the problems it causes. What unhealthy mindsets have you inherited, and how have you worked to change them?
Meg and John’s main problems center on a lack of communication, broken down into a lack of honesty with themselves and each other about their wants, an unwillingness to inconvenience each other, and an assumption that actions can substitute for talking things out. What helped them break through these barriers? Have you dealt with similar communication issues in a romantic or other close relationship?
Do you think Eric was justified in getting angry about Jo’s scrambled egg blog? What about his reaction makes sense, and what, if anything, was out of line? Do you agree with Jo’s decision not to take her blog down? What obligation did she have to Eric vs. to her professional blogger network?
Meg struggles to let go of her control over her children—their rules, schedules, expectations, etc. Have you experienced this or known anyone who has? What makes it so hard for a parent (especially a mother) to give up control? What helped Meg do it, and what were the results?
Trey is portrayed very differently than the Laurie of Little Women. Why do you think the author made this choice? Who do you want Jo to be with—Trey or Eric?
Below, you can download a PDF of the Meg and Jo discussion questions to print out and bring to your book club. I hope you have an intriguing discussion!
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