Begun in 2010, this blog offers analysis and reflection by Susan Bailey on the life, works and legacy of Louisa May Alcott and her family. Susan is an active member and supporter of the Louisa May Alcott Society, the Fruitlands Museum and Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House.
Author: susanwbailey
My name is Susan Bailey and I find the life of Louisa May Alcott endlessly fascinating. I come from New England (specifically Massachusetts) and my family has been here in one form or another since the 1630ā²s. I live fairly close to Concord, MA where Orchard House, the homestead of the Alcotts, is located, and visit often. Every few years or so I go on a reading ābingeā about Louisa and this time around was so good, I just had to start a blog about my passion. The binge, by the way, still goes on!
Iāve been happily married for over 30 years and my husband is a deacon in the Melkite Church (Eastern Catholic ā I am Roman Catholic). We are proud parents of a grown son and daughter.
Iāve worked happily for the last 17 years at Rutledge Properties in Wellesley, MA, supporting the agents in the office.
And in my āother life,ā Iāve performed, written and recorded music exploring my Catholic faith. I have a website (www.susanbailey.net) where you can hear samples and find out more about this. I sing at various masses at my home parish of St. Luke the Evangelist in Westboro, MA.
Other interests include history (especially photographic), nature (especially bird watching), and I have the same āinordinate love of catsā that Louisa had. :-)
As promised, and in honor of Louisa and Bronson's impending birthdays (November 29),Ā I am giving away a free DVD of the acclaimed documentary, Louisa May Alcott The Woman Behind Little Women thanks to the generosity of NancyĀ Porter and Harriet Reisen. I've seen this documentary a few times and it is just wonderful seeing …
My husband and I are taking a trek to Concord to see Richard Francis, author of a brand new book on Fruitlands called Fruitlands: The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia Sounds like a good one! I'll bring my trusty camera and let you know what he was like (oh, and of course I'll …
Chapter 46 of Little Women, "Under the Umbrella," should have been a glorious chapter for me since Jo and Fritz finally decided to get married. Instead, it was incredibly frustrating, though it wasn't all Louisa's fault. š I've been listening to an audio book during my long commute and the reader for that particular chapter …
I finished reading Little Women last week and will comment on that in the last post that I do on this book. But first, I wanted to address how Louisa brought about the pairing of Amy and Laurie. I wish that I had not known that Amy married Laurie because I could never feel the …
I had the pleasure of meeting Susan Cheever, author of the newest biography on Louisa, Louisa May Alcott A Personal Biography. Susan is doing a book tour mostly on the East Coast, and came to Tatnuck's in Westborough, MA on Saturday, Nov. 13. Speaking to Alcott enthusiasts and burgeoning writers, Susan first spoke about the …
Harriet Reisen, author of Louisa May Alcott The Woman Behind Little Women, sent me this. It's interesting and fun to see the comparisons. I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks, Harriet, for this contribution! Gentle Readers: Asked to compare Louisa May Alcottās fictional sisters to her real four, I find that they are inextricable …
Before I begin, I must say that right now I am positively swooning over the reading I am doing! Little Women is (sadly) winding down but surely going out with a bang. At the same time, Gone with the Wind is ramping up! It's so cool reading two books about the Civil War era (my …
Chapter 38 of Little Women, "On the Shelf" again showed me what a keen observer Louisa was.Ā She never married nor bore any children yet her description of Meg and John's adjustment to parenthood was dead on. I listened to the audio book with my mouth open just about the whole time, in awe at …
This review is way overdue! The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, the debut novel of Kelly O'Connor McNees, was the book that began my current reading binge last May. My husband, bless his heart, found this book and bought it for me and I will always be grateful. The Lost Summer of Louisa May …
Iām here at Barnes and Noble, killing time before I have to attend a work event (some of us are representing our real estate firm, Rutledge Properties (in Wellesley, MA), in a town-wide spelling bee ā goodness, I hope we last at least one round! ). I figured I would see if Susan Cheeverās book, …