See a letter written by Louisa to her publisher regarding a sequel to Little Women

In conjunction with an exhibit at the Houghton Library at Harvard University entitled  Louisa May Alcott: Family Life & Publishing Ventures, Alcott scholars Daniel Shealy and Joel Myerson contributed a post to Houghton's blog called "You've Got Mail" (highlighting various letters from Houghton's vast collection) regarding a sequel to Little Women. Here's a tease. Be …

Beautiful Little Women book covers

Check out all the beautiful book covers of Little Women from its publication to the present - quite a collection. Nice summary too, here's a tease:  The Reference Guide to American Literature describes the creation of the book(s) in this way: “Alcott’s purpose in writing Little Women was not to create a nostalgic portrait of an idyllic childhood, …

Beth March as a doll

I received a wonderful email from the mother of Amelie Lasker, the young actress who portrayed Beth March in the Concord Players' production of Little Women this past May (see past post for more on this play). She shared with me the sweet remembrance given to each March sister cast member, created by the costumers …

Louisa May Alcott Summer Reading Challenge – What I’m reading

The In The Bookcase blog is holding a Louisa May Alcott summer reading challenge so you know I have to participate! 🙂 Here's what I plan on reading: 1. Finish my re-read of Little Women (and Little Women (Norton Critical Edition) edited by Gregory Eiselein and Anne K. Phillips) 2. Finish my re-read of Louisa May …

Little Women on the stage – a Concord Players’ tradition

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of seeing the Concord Players' historic production of Little Women with one of you! Nancy Gluck of the Silver Threads blog along with her lovely husband were spending the weekend in Concord (she is preparing a 5-part series on Louisa May Alcott for her adult education class). We …

For Moms and their ‘Little Women’

In honor of Mother's Day, I am delighted to present this guest post by Barbara Solomon Josselsohn,  reprinted with permission from NYMetroParents. A two-day trip to Concord, Massachusetts and the home of Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, is a great way to commemorate Mother’s Day—or any other time set aside just for the …

Another Little Women back story – How did the March family lose their fortune?

In the last post, I shared Geraldine Brooks' imagined back story on Marmee's temper and how her husband helped her to control it. Now from March I'd like to share Brooks' version of how the March family lost their fortune. She creates a very plausible scenario with an historical figure, one that captivated much of Concord …

Adding back story to Little Women

I couldn't leaveMarch by Geraldine Brooks behind without mentioning one other element of the book that I really enjoyed - the back stories Brooks imagined which enhance Little Women. Haven't you often wondered just how the March family lost their fortune? Haven't you wanted to know more about Marmee's temper and how her husband helped …

Book Review: March by Geraldine Brooks

It feels like a lifetime since I started reading March by Geraldine Brooks a little over a month ago. Between this work and The Glory Cloak by Patricia O'Brien, my way of thinking has gone through a transformation. Fortunate, because otherwise, I never could have appreciated March. Opening the mind Historical fiction has proven to be …

Take 5 minutes to enjoy Little Women Wynona-style

I found this video via Suck My Alcott - Six snarky chicks who dig Louisa May - the 1994 version of Little Women condensed into under 5 minutes (with music by Savage Garden - used to love those guys!). It's cool, raw and rainy today but for about 5 minutes, it got warm and cozy. Enjoy! …