Louisa May Alcott is My Passion
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.
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 …
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Rebecca Lee never dreamed that doing her job would gain her a new literary friend. An audiobook narrator, improv actor, and teaching artist, Lee produced Work, A Story of Experience for audible.com. Work, one of Louisa May Alcott's lesser-known adult novels, tells the story of heroine Christie Devon's ambition and struggle to work outside the …
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As a writer, army nurse, single mother, caretaker and homemaker, the celebrated author of Little Women blazed a trail for women managing home and career. When people hear the name of Louisa May Alcott, they think of Little Women. A novel written for girls, this best-selling classic celebrates the home, marriage and motherhood. It also …
Here is a wonderful interview with two librarians, who, because they love making food from their favorite stories, authored The Little Women Cookbook: Novel Takes on Classic Recipes from Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy, and Friends. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ptZVV0V4IoA You can connect with Jenne and Miko on their website, 36eggs.com; they are also …
First, a disclaimer: I am no cook. And my diet regimen does not permit a lot of these foods (unfortunately). However, as someone who loves to eat, I did find the recipes in both of these books to be very tempting; I was quite hungry by the time I finished going through them. For devotees …
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In anticipation of my presentation of "Victorian Huswifery with the Alcotts," I thought I would share with you portions of my talk. The essence of the talk outlines the life of the family covering more than eighty years of the nineteenth century. Their wide variety of living arrangements as they struggled through poverty to eventual …
Continue reading "Victorian Huswifery with the Alcotts: Louisa May Alcott’s domestic service"
I am currently preparing for a presentation I will be giving about Victorian domestic life as seen through the living experiences of the Alcotts. For me the most fascinating period of that part of their history are the Boston years (1848-1855) where they essentially existed as nomads. Their dwellings ranged from cheap rented rooms and …
Coming up on Thursday, February 8 from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Brigham Hill Community Barn in Grafton, MA (my hometown), I will be giving a presentation on the Victorian housewife as seen through the experiences of the Alcotts: Description I will explores the back-breaking work of the typical Victorian housewife through the experiences …
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Recently I read an essay called “Women, Menstruation and Nineteenth Century Medicine” by Vern Bullough and Martha Voght which discussed how misinformation regarding women and menstruation prevented them from receiving an education. The essay covered familiar territory with regards to how the world of medicine regarded women’s health in the nineteenth century. (See previous post) …
Slowly but surely I am getting through Abba’s letters in relation to my research on Lizzie Alcott. These letters cover a period from 1853 to 1858. Abba’s handwriting is difficult; it appears she often wrote in haste. Her eyesight was poor so it’s amazing she could write letters at all considering she was writing either …
Continue reading "Revealing the real Abigail Alcott to the world must include Bronson"
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 