As the North reels under a series of unexpected defeats during the dark first year of the American Civil War, John March leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause. An idealistic chaplain in a little known backwater of the war, his experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. As he recovers from a near-fatal illness, March is sent home, yet struggles to reconnect with a wife and daughters who have no idea of the ordeals he has been through. From Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic, Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has taken the character of the absent father, John March, and added adult resonance to Alcott's optimistic children's tale to portray the moral complexity of war and a marriage tested by a dangerous and illicit attraction. Superbly read by Peter Marinker, March secures Geraldine Brooks' place as an internationally renowned author of historical fiction. 'Brooks' considerable historical research for March is pleasingly lightly worn' - Sunday Times. 'Beautifully wrought' - Los Angeles Times.