UPDATE: This contest has ended. Please check back another time for more contests and giveaways.
A few months ago, Touchstone sent me the manuscript for Gabrielle Donnelly's forthcoming novel, The Little Women Letters, in hopes that I would read it and enjoy it enough to offer a quote they could use in their publicity. You've no doubt seen these sort of quotes on book jackets before, brief reviews praising the story and author—but you won't find many from me. Sadly, there aren't enough hours in the day to read every manuscript publishers send me, and of those advance readers' copies I do read, I provide quotes for only a small fraction. That's because I want my readers to know that when I recommend a book, I loved it and believe they will too.
That's exactly how I felt after finishing Gabrielle's book. The Little Women Letters tells the story of three contemporary sisters, descendants of Jo March, the beloved heroine of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. If, like me, you include Little Women in your list of favorite classic novels, you'll love Gabrielle's homage to the March sisters, their family, and friends. If you've never read Alcott's beloved novel, you'll enjoy the story of contemporary sisters exploring their heritage and their relationships with one another.
As I wrote in my review, “Marvelously entertaining, Gabrielle Donnelly's The Little Women Letters evokes the spirit of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women with warmth and affection. I thoroughly enjoyed every word of this wonderful book.” Thanks to Touchstone, ten Elm Creek Readers will win a copy of this charming novel so you can see for yourselves why I loved it so much.
To enter, take the “Which March Sister Are you?” quiz on Gabrielle Donnelly's website to see which March sister you most resemble. Then post your results here in the comments. Five commenters chosen at random will receive a copy of The Little Women Letters. I'll select five winners from this page and five from my Facebook page, so feel free to enter on both sites. The contest closes at 11:59 PM Central Time on Sunday, June 19, 2011, so be sure to enter soon.
After you take the quiz and enter the contest, you can read an excerpt from The Little Women Letters and learn more about Gabrielle Donnelly on her website. Good luck and happy reading!