Exciting news from Walpole, NH, home to the Alcotts in the mid 1850s

Back in 2016, I visited Walpole, NH, home to the Alcott family from 1855-1857. Accompanied by Alcott scholar Dr. Kristi Martin, we had the pleasure of meeting Ray Boas, Walpole's town historian. He gave us a lovely tour of the town, pointing out the homes where Louisa and Anna had performed with the Walpole Amateur …

Louisa May Alcott’s Walpole — visiting the NH town where the Alcotts lived from 1855-1857

On Saturday, Oct. 1 I had the distinct pleasure of touring the town of Walpole NH where Louisa May Alcott and her family lived in Walpole, NH from 1855 through 1857. I was accompanied by my sister Chris and friend Kristi Martin, a certified tour guide of the various Concord historical homes. The historical society …

Louisa May Alcott is My Passion: The Podcast! Episode Three: Louisa the runner, the real Beth’s piano, and more

"I always thought I must have been a deer or a horse in some former state, because it was such a joy to run." Louisa May Alcott, "Sketch of Childhood, by herself." Welcome to the third episode of Louisa May Alcott is My Passion: The Podcast! Welcome to the third episode of Louisa May Alcott …

A visit with fans from abroad gets us the “wonk” tour: Did you know these tidbits about Orchard House?

You never know what a house can tell you! No matter how many times I visit Orchard House, I always learn something new. Last Friday I had the privilege of meeting longtime email friends from Paris, France. Charline Bourdin, the author of the first French biography of Louisa May Alcott and the webmaster of a …

Lizzie Alcott’s keyboard: seraphine or melodeon? What’s the difference? And which one is it?

I recently read an intriguing line in Eve LaPlante's book, Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother regarding the keyboard that Lizzie Alcott used to play. It reads: In 1847, "Abigail, who had acquired a keyboard instrument called a seraphine, gave the children regular music lessons, as her mother …

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