I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Louisa May Alcott and her family. I had no idea how eccentric and politically forward thinking they all were for the times.

Louisa’s father, Bronson, was impetuous and a dreamer who’s life was oft marked by depressive episodes. He believed in unconventional educational methods and attempted to run several schools throughout his lifetime. The most successful of which only lasted about 6 or so years. He followed his strange ideas, regardless of others’ opinions, much to his detriment. When he put his unusual ideas into practice, and they failed, he would be despondent for a time. And for some reason, he never really found success.

Louisa’s mother, Abby, was a head strong hard worker. She spent much of her life confounded by her husbands moods and general inability to provide for the family, often taking up a job or two to put some food on the table. In her later years, she became quite a social activist, helping the poor, advocating for their needs and even giving them the clothes off her own back when she herself had very little to give. The family was even known to hide escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad.

But while they struggled over the years, they did surround themselves with creativity, learning opportunities and literature. Bronson was friends with several literary greats of the time including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Louisa grew up listening and to and admiring these men.

Having grown up poor her entire life, Louisa determined to change her family’s circumstances. She began writing stories in her teens and over time, after learning the ins and outs of what people enjoyed reading and what publishers were looking for, she found some success.

Knowing very little of the Alcotts, I enjoyed reading about Louisa’s vibrant personality and her eccentric parents. If you enjoy reading the real life stories of other literary leading ladies, such as the Brontes, you will find this a satisfying read.

I received an electronic ARC copy from the publisher and net galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

E ARC provided by Netgalley



Think about this: Alcott was born in 1832. That's 35 years before Laura Ingalls Wilder, yet she managed not only to teach, live alone in Boston, serve as an army nurse, and support herself and her family by writing short stories and then books. Also, she RAN for exercise! Can you imagine, given the clothing of the day? I was a huge Alcott fan when I was younger (my daughter's middle name is Louisa), so this was an absolutely fascinating look at her start in life. Because of her father's academic bent, there are many extant letters and documents about her life, and Noyes pulls together a cohesive look at the events and people that shaped her views and actions. While there is a wealth of information presented, this was a hard book for me to read because her father, Bronson, was such a complete and monumental jerk! Using the excuse of working for the greater good, he neglected his family responsibilities and put an unfair burden Louisa's mother, Abby. His hare-brained experiments, such as the communal Fruitlands, often kept the family on the edge of starvation. At the time, there was little Abby could do but take in sewing and hope that her idiot husband would bring in a little money. There are two new graphic novels that depict Jo, from Little Women, as a lesbian, but I feel that both Jo's and Louisa's reaction to men has more to do with her mother's horrible marriage than it does to Louisa's romantic proclivities. (Her small but star-crossed romances were with men.)


It is truly amazing that Louisa was able to support herself; clearly her youthful privations made her motivated to do well for herself and gave her a lot of survival skills. This is a great book for readers who were raised on Little Women, but I'm not sure if there will be a great need for this in my school library. Every time a new movie comes out, I hope it will bring a resurgence in interest in this author, but so far, the books are still hard to get 12 year olds to read.

Well connected socially and intellectually but poverty stricken, Alcott is portrayed as a caring, brave, driven and talented woman living in a complex world. This book provides insights into the ways in which historical, personal and familial experiences intersect and determine what happens in an individual's life.