The Field Trip of a Lifetime! (part two)

To continue with my account of  the field trip of a lifetime, there were many more treasures that I found at the Concord Free Public Library: A May Alcott Nieriker Exhibition Regular readers of this blog know of my esteem for May Alcott Nieriker. I discovered (first to my dismay and then to my delight) …

The Field Trip of a Lifetime! (part one)

I have been anticipating my vacation between Christmas and New Year's for several months because of a very special field trip I planned - a visit to the Concord Free Public Library where I would come into contact with the actual letters and manuscripts of my favorite author, Louisa May Alcott. The weather was beautiful …

“Love and Self-Love,” another early success story for Louisa May Alcott

As I continue to slowly go through Susan Cheever's Louisa May Alcott A Personal Biography and read yet more background, I came upon a story of Louisa's that related to her  incident at the Mill Dam where she nearly threw herself into the water in despair,  to end her life. That story, "Love and Self-Love" …

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 …

Wrapping Up Little Women Part Two – Mama and Papa Bhaer, and my favorite character

Chapter 46 of Little Women, "Under the Umbrella," should have been a glorious chapter for me since Jo and Fritz finally decided to get married. Instead, it was incredibly frustrating, though it wasn't all Louisa's fault. 🙂 I've been listening to an audio book during my long commute and the reader for that particular chapter …

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 …

Jo finds a new self in the Valley

Before I begin, I must say that right now I am positively swooning over the reading I am doing! Little Women is (sadly) winding down but surely going out with a bang. At the same time, Gone with the Wind is ramping up! It's so cool reading two books about the Civil War era (my …

A review of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

This review is way overdue! The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, the debut novel of Kelly O'Connor McNees, was the book that began my current reading binge last May. My husband, bless his heart, found this book and bought it for me and I will always be grateful. The Lost Summer of Louisa May …

Quick preview of Susan Cheever’s new bio on Louisa May Alcott

I’m here at Barnes and Noble, killing time before I have to attend a work event (some of us are representing our real estate firm, Rutledge Properties (in Wellesley, MA), in a town-wide spelling bee – goodness, I hope we last at least one round! ). I figured I would see if Susan Cheever’s book, …