Louisa May Alcott is My Passion
Begun in 2010, this blog offers analysis and reflection by Susan Bailey on the life, works and legacy of Louisa May Alcott and her family. Susan is an active member and supporter of the Louisa May Alcott Society, the Fruitlands Museum and Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House.
From Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag comes "An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving," one of many charming short stories Louisa May Alcott wrote after the success of Little Women. Story summary It's a simple story of a time long ago and far away (very early 19th century), starring a country family in New Hampshire, "poor in money, but rich in …
Continue reading "An Old-Fashioned Louisa May Alcott Thanksgiving"
On a cool and cloudy day a group of dedicated teachers, writers, academics and hard-core fans gathered together at ground zero to celebrate the love of an author who had, in one way or another, transformed their lives. Thus was the gathering of the Louisa May Alcott Society as we celebrated ten years as an …
I am grateful to be able to attend again the annual Summer Conversational Series at Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House this year. The theme concerns talent versus genius, and the abundance of genius that existed in Concord, Massachusetts in the 19th century. I was not able to take in all five days of the series …
Look at what I got at The Barrows in Concord! New meaning This is the first time that I've acquired first editions of Louisa May Alcott's books. Knowing she was alive when these books were published adds another layer of meaning to the reading. I feel myself transported back to 1886, catching up on the …
Continue reading "Jo’s Boys – reading the first edition knowing Louisa was alive"
From the pages of Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag comes an intriguing memoir of the boys in Louisa May Alcott's life, "My Boys." From one "boy" to another Louisa had always preferred the company of boys and wished she had been born one herself. She particularly favored the age when boys were "regarded as nuisances till they are …
Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag is a collection of short stories, mostly for children, that Louisa wrote in the 1880s (including stories from her grand tour of Europe with younger sister May). While none of the stories have anything to do with Little Women, the publisher obviously was banking on the title drawing in lots of buyers …
Continue reading "Complete list of stories from the Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag series"
After my reading of "An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving," I decided to dig deeper into Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag and the stories my mother cherished as a young girl. What I thought would be just light-hearted reading has become a poignant and very enjoyable journey into the past where I am coming to know my mother as a …
Continue reading "A peak into my mother’s childhood through Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag"
