Beth and Amy

Kantra (Meg and Jo) continues her delightful 21st-century retelling of Little Women, set in Bunyan, N.C., with characters that hew closely to the versions that inspired them. Meg is the perfect mother to two children; Jo is a bestselling author about to marry a chef; Beth is a budding country star with an eating disorder; Amy is an accessories designer; family friend Trey (inspired by Alcott’s Laurie) owns a luxury car dealership; and the March women’s father, a Civil War soldier in Alcott’s novel, served in Iraq. All reunite for Jo’s wedding, where Amy reflects on the time she’d had sex with Trey three years earlier in Paris, during which Trey had called Amy “Jo,” and on how Jo later broke his heart. Kantra believably heightens the tension around Amy’s regret over violating the “Sisters’ Code” tinged with a renewed desire for Trey at Jo’s wedding. This material, as well as an exploration of s Beth’s anorexia, are mined for maximum emotional effect. For the most part, things proceed apace with Alcott’s novel, with an equally satisfying happy ending. Kantra’s compulsively readable update will attract a whole new group of readers, as well as satisfy Alcott devotees. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (May)