Louisa May Alcott Reading Challenge Update

How are you doing on the Louisa May Alcott Summer Reading Challenge? I've been pecking away at the Little Women re-read along with a re-read of Louisa May Alcott: A Biography by Madeleine Stern. I've been keeping a casual reading journal for the latter and I'll share some from that. Still the best biography Louisa May …

New book on Louisa and Abba

Yet another new book is coming out about Louisa and this time it pairs her off with her mother. Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother by Eve LaPlante is due out November 6, 2012 according to Amazon.com. LaPlante reveals how Abigail May Alcott (Marmee) was the true force …

Book Review: The Glory Cloak

By way of review (as mentioned in the previous post), The Glory Cloak by Patricia O’Brien is an historical novel featuring Louisa May Alcott and Clara Barton. It covers the Civil War through the eyes of a fictitious Alcott cousin, Susan Gray, who comes to live with the Alcotts after being orphaned. Susan becomes Louisa’s …

Louisa has primed my pump and changed my life

I happened to stumble upon a great find: The Glory Cloak by Patricia O'Brien, an historical novel featuring Louisa May Alcott and Clara Barton. It covers the Civil War through the eyes of a fictitious Alcott cousin, Susan Gray, who comes to live with the Alcotts after being orphaned. Susan becomes Louisa's constant companion, confidant …

“I Always Wanted to Be Like Jo.”

Spring in Concord has sprung, not only with budding trees and flowers, but with a plethora of activities celebrating the centennial of one of the oldest home museums in the country, Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House. Little Women discussion panel On Thursday, March 22 I had the joy of attending the first of three presentations …

Louisa May Alcott’s summer retreat

A trip to a warehouse bookstore in the middle of nowhere produced a great find! I had just about given up the hope of finding something interesting until this book caught my eye:  Nonquitt A Summer Album, 1872-1985, edited by Anne M. Lyell. What is so significant about Nonquitt? This is where Louisa May Alcott …

Referrals in Louisa’s journal to Little Women

Following up on Jillian's post, I thought it would be fun to look back on journal entries that Louisa made that directly correlate with Little Women. I found these in Little Women (Norton Critical Edition) edited by Gregory Eiselein and Anne K. Phillips; the page citations come from this book. Note the comments Louisa makes …

Cooking, and eating, like Louisa May Alcott

I was supposed to go to a wreath-making get-together up in New Hampshire but had to bail out because of family commitments. I was supposed to bring a treat and since the hostess loves Louisa as I do, I thought I'd make Apple Slump as I had found the recipe online. I decided, what the …

Abba Alcott’s contribution – behind every great woman stands a mother

You know how they say that behind every great man is a great woman? How about behind every great woman? In studying the life of Abba Alcott through the reading of Marmee, the Mother of Little Womenby Sandford Meddick Salyer, there indeed was a great woman behind Louisa May Alcott. She was a mother whose …

Listen to an interview with Roberta Trites regarding Louisa’s “blood and thunder” tales

Recently the Milner Library at Illinois State University hosted a series of programs as part of the ALA's "Louisa May Alcott The Woman Behind Little Women"; they were one of many libraries around the country that received grant money from the NEH and the ALA. The series is based upon the best-selling biography of the …