Vote for Lost Summer on the Goodreads site

I received this message from Kelly O'Connor McNees: I hate to bother you again so soon after my last email, but I had to spread some exciting news: The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott has been nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction of 2010! Voting is easy. Just visit this …

From Hillside to Thoreau to Irish Immigrants

I just finished the section in Louisa May Alcott A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever about the 3-1/2 years the Alcott Family spent at Hillside (must make a point of touring Hillside, now known as the Wayside, next summer). Cheever spent a couple of pages on Thoreau and how Louisa felt about him and it …

Catching up on Susan Cheever’s new biography on Louisa

At 257 pages, I would have thought that my read of Susan Cheever's Louisa May Alcott A Personal Biography would have been quick and easy. Not so, especially since I've adopted the habit of taking notes as I read! This reminds me of school. 🙂 But I can't tell you how many times I have …

We have a tie! Two winners of the DVD Giveaway

Thank you for the great entries for the DVD Giveaway of Louisa May Alcott The Woman Behind Little Woman, directed by Nancy Porter, written by Harriet Reisen, and produced by both. While all the entries were worthy, there were two in particular that really stood out. I asked Harriet if perhaps 2 DVDs could be …

An interview with author Kelly O’Connor McNees

One of my favorite new books about Louisa May Alcott is The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott. This is not a standard biography but a flight of fancy - a historical novel based on a period in Louisa's life where there is a notable gap in her journal writings and letters. Author Kelly O'Connor …

Richard Francis unveils his new book on Fruitlands at the Concord Bookshop

Yet another new book on the Alcotts has been released, this one written by British scholar and professor Richard Francis. Entitled Fruitlands The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia, this book is destined to be the definitive work on the failed Fruitlands experiment conducted by Bronson Alcott (with wife and daughters including young Louisa), …

DVD Giveaway Contest – Win by writing about your favorite Little Women character

As promised, and in honor of Louisa and Bronson's impending birthdays (November 29),  I am giving away a free DVD of the acclaimed documentary, Louisa May Alcott The Woman Behind Little Women thanks to the generosity of Nancy  Porter and Harriet Reisen. I've seen this documentary a few times and it is just wonderful seeing …

Book Signing today at Concord Book Store for new book on Fruitlands

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 …

Meeting author Susan Cheever at book signing

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 …

Comparing the March sisters with their real life counterparts

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 Alcott’s fictional sisters to her real four, I find that they are inextricable …