In the footsteps of Louisa May Alcott in the Castelli Romani Part 2

Guest post by Lorraine Tosiello In March 1871, Louisa May Alcott, her sister May, and May’s friend Alice Bartlett spent two weeks in the hill towns south of Rome. Based in Albano Laziale, the women had access to the nearby lakes of Albano and Nemi, picturesque villages such as Frascati and Grottaferrata, gardens to walk …

In the footsteps of Louisa May Alcott in the Castelli Romani Part 1

Guest post by Lorraine Tosiello In March 1871, toward the end of their Grand Tour in Europe, Louisa May Alcott, her sister May, and May’s friend Alice Bartlett were ready to quit Rome. Alcott had suffered from neuralgia during a rainy winter and had seen the Eternal City through blue glasses. Her dislike of nobility, …

Meet the real person behind Laurie Lawrence through letters by the “little women.”

Ever since the publication of Little Women in 1868, readers have been enchanted with Theodore "Laurie" Lawrence and were bitterly disappointed when Jo March rejected his marriage proposal. The dark, handsome, and lively young man loved pulling pranks, often engaged in fiery discussions with Jo, and was there for her in every significant moment of …

Looking for correspondents for Louisa May Alcott is My Passion

You may have noticed that I have not been as active on this blog as I used to be. The combination of writing my book on Elizabeth and health issues has made it challenging to keep up. I would like this blog to have fresh posts more frequently. Therefore, I am reaching out to you. …

My latest “Discover Concord” articles: “Alcott as Their Muse:Ā  Little Women’s LegacyĀ  Honored by Contemporary Authors” from the Summer 2023 issue, and “Beyond Words: The Depth of Louisa May Alcott’s Legacy” from the Summer 2022 issue

Here are two articles I wrote that were published in "Discover Concord" magazine. My apologies for not posting the article from 2022 in a more timely fashion. I have beenĀ  utterly immersed in my biography of Elizabeth Alcott (two chapters to go before I finish the first draft!) and therefore, have been neglecting this blog. …

Generous donation to Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House celebrates Louisa’s important legacy

After capturing Louisa May Alcott’s legacy in a haunting portrait, Canadian artist Malcolm Hollyman has generously donated his work to Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House. Working off of a familiar daguerreotype of the Little Women author, Mr. Hollyman sought to portray Louisa’s complex life beyond that of a best-selling children’s author. ā€œI wanted to paint …

Louisa May Alcott’s exquisite needlework and its connection to “Jack and Jill”

I am indebted to my good friend Virginia Martin for alerting me to the latest issue of "Piecework" and the wonderful article by Lisa-Anne Bauch about Louisa May Alcott's needlework and its connection to one of her later juvenile novels, Jack and Jill. Bauch summarizes the plot and weaves Louisa's use of needlework to flesh …

February Little Women Film Festival at Orchard House

In anticipation of theĀ  Concord Players' performance of "Little Women: The Broadway Music" in April and May,Ā  screenings of all the major Little Women films will be taking place at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, at the School of Philosophy during the month of February: Visit the Concord Players website (scroll down) and Louisa May …

Embracing the holiday spirit with Louisa May Alcott’s Christmas stories

'Tis the season! Time to dust off and pull out your favorite Louisa May Alcott Christmas stories. Over the years I have posted on these stories and will be sharing those posts with you during this wonderful season. The best place to start is to point you to an article I wrote for Discover Concord …

In-person presentation on the life of Louisa May Alcott at the Leominster Public Library, Sunday, November 20

I am thrilled to be able to give, in person, a PowerPoint presentation on the life of Louisa May Alcott at the Leominster, MA Public Library on 30 West Street next Sunday, November 20th, from 2pm to 3:30. Come on down if you're in the area. A Q and A will follow - bring your …