fiction – Louisa May Alcott is My Passion

December 3, 2025

Bloody Brilliant: “Beth is Dead:” A Review

By Kristi Lynn Martin, PHD Book Review of: Beth is Dead by Kate BurnetPublisher: Sarah Barely Book (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)Expected Publication Date: January 2026 Beth Is Dead is a stunning tribute to Little Women and a remarkable debut novel. This YA thriller is a deliciously delightful page turner; clever and suspenseful. After …

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January 22, 2016February 19, 2016

Fiction or non-fiction? How should I tell the story of Lizzie?

Note: Although I had promised a series of posts on women's health in the nineteenth century, I need to postpone those posts until I clear up a problem with citing an important source. Stay tuned! In the meantime, I thought I would share this with you. * * * * * * * * * …

Continue reading "Fiction or non-fiction? How should I tell the story of Lizzie?"

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.

Find out more about the blog.

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For a comprehensive list of blog posts by name, download this document:
Complete list of posts on LMA blog
(note: this is updated periodically)

Recognized for Excellence in 2018
by The Internet Scout Report

Discover Concord

Visit https://discoverconcordma.com/ebooks-all to read issues.

Named the New Business of the Year (2020) by the Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce

See Susan’s article, “Alcott as Their Muse: Little Women’s Legacy Honored by Contemporary Authors” on pages 52-53 in the Summer 2023 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, “Beyond Words: The Depth of Louisa May Alcott’s Legacy” on pages 20-21 in the Summer 2022 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, ” Experiencing The Wayside as Hillside, Home of the Alcotts” on pages 48-49 in the Fall 2021 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, “Alcott’s Hidden Critics: An International Sleuthing Project” (co-authored by Lorraine Tosiello) on pages 56-57 in the Spring 2021 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, “Bronson Alcott’s Search for Eden: Fruitlands” on pages 64-65 in the Winter 2020 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article on Thoreau on page 44 of Discover Concord magazine’s Summer 2020 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article on page 12 of Discover Concord magazine’s Winter 2019 edition (click here to read)

Mentioned in Vanity Fair

Little Women Audio Play

Reading Little Women blog

Louisa May Alcott: Illuminated by The Message: “Susan Bailey's new book is part of a series called Literary Portals to Prayer, which is meant to encourage a kind of literary lectio divina, a form of contemplative reading that is a pathway to prayer. An intriguing idea for a book, no? And there’s no better person to write it than Susan Bailey.” Lori Erickson, The Holy Rover on Patheos

“I never fully realized how much spiritual content is integrated into her body of work. Ms. Bailey extracts beautiful and uplifting passages and pairs them with Biblical ones that make similar points. It includes some of Alcott’s less well known works which makes me want to read those that I have missed.” Diane Brandi

Susan Bailey has compiled a remarkable edition of side by side texts, demonstrating a deep understanding of the life, world, and spirituality of Alcott. The matches [with the Bible} are spot on and insightful. Eileen Charbonneau. award-winning author

River of Grace: Susan Bailey’s powerful and beautifully-written book is much more than an insightful spiritual memoir. River of Grace is also a brilliant reflection on the connections between creativity and grace. A book one to cherish. Amy Belding Brown, author of Mr. Emerson’s Wife and Flight of the Sparrow

Susan Bailey is an accomplished researcher of all things pertaining to Louisa May Alcott. I found joy in the way that [she] shares about her favorite authoress. Miss Alcott's books wedged themselves into Susan's soul and allowed her to identify parallels and discover herself again. This is not a story of how to get over grief fast -- but how to deal with it and give your afflictions to the Almighty. Tarissa, In the Bookcase blog