Louisa May Alcott Encyclopedia

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) is arguably the most widely read 19th-century author in America. Even through the 1990s, her books continued to appear on bestseller lists and her works were made into films. She has long been a staple of children's literature courses and now also receives significant attention in American studies and women's studies classes. While her tremendous popularity has yielded numerous biographies and a growing number of critical works, very few reference books have been devoted to Alcott studies and none are particularly current or complete. This book collects in a comprehensive and reliable single volume the most important facts about Alcott's life and works.

This reference surveys the basic biographical details about Alcott's family and personal life. It supplies essential information on her historical and cultural contexts, including her place in the 19th century publishing milieu, various reform movements, and major historical events, such as the Civil War. It also treats her writings, both the adult and children's works, in an accurate, informative, and accessible manner. The volume includes more than 600 alphabetically arranged entries. Each entry discusses the topic's relevance to Alcott's life and current scholarship about her. Many of the entries close with brief bibliographies, and the book concludes with a list of works for further reading.

Provides comprehensive coverage of Alcott's life and works.

Booknews

Some 80 scholars describe American writer Alcott's (1832-88) characteristics, friends and associates, the events of her life, and themes of her fiction. Though they consider all aspects of her life, they focus on her literary output as the most significant element of her career. All of her full-length books are covered with descriptive and analytical data, along with her thrillers, family sagas, many of her poems, and her major stories. Entries also look at her editors and publishers, periodicals she wrote for, characters, and illustrators. The critical reception of her work receives considerable attention. Many of the entries include a bibliography. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

GREGORY EISELEIN is Associate Professor of English at Kansas State University, where he teaches American literature and cultural studies.

ANNE K. PHILLIPS is Associate Professor of English at Kansas State University, where she specializes in children's and adolescent literature and American literature.