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.
Looking for a first edition volume of Jo's Boys? Perhaps you've been searching for works done by friends of the Concord authors or biographers whose books are hard to find. Maybe you want an older copy of Walden by Thoreau or Nature by Emerson. For antique books by the Concord authors, The Barrow Bookstore in Concord, …
Continue reading "Wonderful audio series on YouTube by The Barrow bookstore in Concord"
I am so pleased to present this extensive review by Gabrielle Donnelly, author of The Little Women Letters: The first thing to remember when you start to read Jeannine Atkins’ marvelous novel, Little Woman Blue (She Writes Press, September 15), is to forget Amy March. Amy, the spoiled youngest of the March family of Little …
Jeannine Atkins' historical novel on May Alcott called Little Woman in Blue: A Novel of May Alcott is now available from Amazon. She posted a wonderful write-up on May's time in Paris with artist peers such as Mary Cassatt through books she used to research her book. Be sure and order Jeannine’s book on Amazon …
My obsession with Louisa played out in a rather odd way. Never a big reader until a few years ago, I’d find myself reading a biographical account of Louisa’s life (rather than read her own words) every few years. This began after reading Martha Saxton’s biography. After the reading (usually done during the autumn months) …
Continue reading "Louisa May Alcott as grief counselor (on the fifth anniversary of this blog)"
In the early twentieth century the world was changing at a breathtaking rate. As a country we moved onto the global stage with the Great War. Dazzling technological innovations created time- and work-saving devices along with new entertainment venues. Medical breakthroughs promised longer and healthier lives. Now that day-to-day survival was no longer the all-consuming …
Continuing our discussion ... Looking at fiction Little Women was a subversive work in many ways, putting new ideas into the heads of children while managing not to upset their parents. One such idea was its endorsement of reading fiction. According to Beverly Lyon Clark, a leading authority on children's literature, children were not encouraged …
Time for a deep dive! Let's examine the introduction and Chapter One of The Afterlife of Little Women by Beverly Lyon Clark. First a disclaimer. This and subsequent posts on The Afterlife of Little Women is a summary of the notes I scribbled on the pages of Beverly Lyon Clark's book; I am giving you …
Continue reading "Nuggets from The Afterlife of Little Women: “Everybody’s Aunt 1868-1900”"
In 1868, a writer desperate to pull her family out of a lifetime of poverty sits down at the tiny half-moon desk in her bedroom to begin work on the book she has dreaded writing. Assigned by her publisher to write a "girl's" book, Louisa May Alcott draws upon the lives of the only girls …
Some of the best books written about Louisa May Alcott are those geared for children. One of my favorites is Little Women Next Door by Sheila Solomon Klass. In a gentle yet poignant story Klass shows the Alcotts during their time Fruitlands through the eyes of a child from a typical family of the 1840s. …
I love this review! I have this book, it’s gorgeous and after reading this review, I hope you will run right out and get it for your favorite little daughter, niece or friend.
Most of us remember when we first read Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, and how it profoundly changed and affected us. It’s just that kind of book.
I was in sixth grade and read it for Mrs. Whang’s English class. We were all a little afraid of Mrs. Whang — she was notorious for being unfailingly strict and rarely smiled. No matter the assignment, only the best would do. For Little Women, we were divided into groups of four and asked to act out our favorite scene(s).
We decided on the first chapter and I was to play Jo. We dressed up in long skirts and shawls and I remember bounding onto the “stage” in my best tomboy fashion and blurting out, “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents.” So began a lifelong love for all of Alcott’s books and a fierce yearning for the quintessential New England Christmas —…
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Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 