Finishing up Eight Cousins: Your own worst enemy

Having finally finished Eight Cousins, it amuses me that an overarching theme of this book is that women can be their own worst enemy. Who comes out well … For Rose, Uncle Alec is the hero and the boys are her true friends. Anyone who knows anything about Louisa May Alcott knows her penchant for …

Greetings from the Beyond

You may recall the last post I wrote about Work: A Story of Experience where I reiterated the religious importance of this autobiographical novel by Louisa May Alcott.  I was moved by the consolation Christie Devon received as described in chapter 19, "Little Hearts-Ease." She heard husband David's "voice" as the breeze blew near his flute. …

The solace I find in reading, writing and Louisa May Alcott

I rarely devote posts to personal musings but I just had to today. We just dropped off our twenty-seven year-old son at the bus station as he makes his way back to New York after a week at our home. He was granted an unexpected vacation from his job as a preschool teacher and was …

Louisa’s poetic tribute to her mother reveals beautiful insights on death

I have long maintained that Louisa's most poignant writing revolves around death as evidenced in Beth March's passing in Little Women and John Suhre's noble death in Hospital Sketches. Recently I found a blog post on the SevenPonds site that states so eloquently the very thoughts I've harbored about Louisa's insights into death - that it …

My 3 days with Louisa May Alcott (part four): connections between Louisa May Alcott and Margaret Fuller

Note: This post is longer than usual. I had considered running it in two installments but thought it would lessen the impact of its message by doing that. So sit back with a cup of coffee, relax and read. 🙂 Two ladies, same vision Two New England feminists, both heavily influenced by transcendentalism. Both in …

My 3 days with Louisa May Alcott (part two): “Marmee and Louisa:” author Eve LaPlante unveils her important new book

Everyone knows the phrase, “Behind every great man stands a woman.” In the case of Louisa May Alcott, it’s a “great woman.” Who was the woman that stood behind her? She is Louisa’s mother, Abigail May Alcott, commonly known as Abba. An inside look at the life of Abba Alcott Eve LaPlante, author of Seized, …

Louisa continues to inspire me

Thanks to my involvement with Louisa May Alcott and this blog, the writer in me has reawakened. I wanted to share with you two guest posts that I wrote for a couple of spiritual blogs: On the Spiritual Travels blog -a review of a book that touched me deeply, A Child Lost in Flight On …

The vacation of my dreams: 3 days with Louisa May Alcott

What's your dream for the ultimate summer vacation? Is it a trip to a new and/or exotic place? Is it time all to yourself to do whatever you wish? How about both? That’s been my dream for many summers and this year, it came true. New and exotic places Back in June, our whole family …

Louisa the rabid fan

Louisa May Alcott hated being famous. Or so she said. Stories abounded of how she often masqueraded as a maid before answering the door at Orchard House to discourage would-be fans. She knew that readers imagined her looking like the dashing young Jo with her two tails of chestnut hair flying behind her when in …

Introducing “From the Garret”

This blog has certainly been a journey! When I first started, all I wanted to do was share my love of Louisa with other fans. I never thought I would grow to love reading and writing as much as I do. It's been a creative renaissance! Different writers' blogs that I follow (Jeff Goins, Michael …