Thanks to the advice of a reader (much appreciated, Gina!), I've started reading Marmee, the Mother of Little Women by Sandford Meddick Salyor. Certainly you cannot look at the life of Louisa May Alcott without looking at her parents. There are plenty of works on Bronson but not that much on Abba ("Marmee"). This 1949 …
Louisa May Alcott’s brand of feminism: final thoughts on “Moods,” thanks to Sarah Elbert
I finally finished reading Moods a few weeks ago but just couldn't comment on it. After reading both the 1864 and 1882 versions, I concluded that the book left me flat. The characters felt rather two-dimensional. Both versions ended differently and each ending seemed convoluted. It left me feeling the way I did after reading …
Learn how author Anna Maclean reimagines Louisa May Alcott
from Cozy Corner: Anna Maclean Reimagines Louisa May Alcott BY RT BOOK REVIEWS, JUNE, 15 2011 It is not easy to make a historical figure your own, but that is just what author Anna Maclean has done with the New England author Louisa May Alcott. In Maclean's series, Alcott unravels mysteries that befall her friends …
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Getting to know John Matteson, author of “Eden’s Outcasts”
I'm about to treat you to a wonderful interview with John Matteson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Eden's Outcasts (one of the many books on my list begging to be read). Here's a sampling to whet your appetite: What drives the continued fascination with Louisa May Alcott? Louisa combined the best aspects of both her parents. …
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Take a tour of the final resting place of the Alcotts
There's a terrific article on the Concord Patch written by a licensed Concord tour guide, Harry Beyer. He takes you on a tour of the Alcott family plot at Sleepy Hollow cemetery. Here's a teaser from the article: Louisa May was an active abolitionist, helping to shelter runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. She was also an early …
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Listen to Susan Cheever talk about her biography on Louisa May Alcott and other Concord Writers
Here's a podcast where you can listen to Susan Cheever talk about her latest book, Louisa May Alcott A Personal Biography, plus another podcast on her fascinating study on the Concord authors. American Bloomsbury. Read about and listen to the podcasts here. What did I think about her books? Read my review of Louisa May …
The essence of Fruitlands: a return to the Garden of Eden
Note: the following post is based upon the introduction to Fruitlands: The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia by Richard Francis, pages 2-11). Anything that has been italicized is my own conclusion, not Francis'. I will be including thoughts that I have as it relates to my understanding of Christianity and how it relates …
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Diving into Transcendentalism via Fruitlands
Talk about jumping off a cliff! That's what I feel like I've done with Richard Francis' Fruitlands: The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia . I wanted to learn more about Transcendentalism and feel like I'm practically drowning in it. But oh is it ever interesting! Disclaimer: I am writing as a student, just …
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Rediscovering the late Madelon Bedell, author of The Alcotts Biography of a Family
I just ordered a bunch of new books and needed to rearrange my book shelves to get everything to fit. In the midst of the rearranging, I pulled out my copy of The Alcotts Biography of a Family and discovered a promotional photo of the author, Madelon Bedell, and an interview released by the publisher’s …
Tidbits of news, and beginning a trip to Fruitlands
Just heard some awesome news from Jan Turnquist at Orchard House - the long missing papers of Madelon Bedell are now safely ensconced at Orchard House. As mentioned in yesterday's post, Bedell wrote a scholarly work entitled The Alcotts Biography of a Family; it was supposed to have been in 2 volumes but sadly, Bedell …
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Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 