Louisa May Alcott

Children's Literature - Jeanne K. Pettenati

This biography of Louisa May Alcott begins with a discouraging episode from her young life. A prominent publisher rejects her manuscript and tells her to "stick to teaching" because she "can't write." Fifteen years after this disappointment Alcott wrote Little Women. She had achieved success and her manuscripts were in demand. Much of the money she earned was used to support her extended family. This well-written book gives readers an overview of Alcott's unconventional childhood and of the people who were most influential in shaping her personality. Alcott's independent spirit shines, and readers learn how this spirit carries her through rough years, when the family struggled financially and when her sisters died. Photographs and sketches accompany the text.

Kirkus Reviews

This slim, readable entry in the A&E Biography series will appeal to fans of Little Women; Ruth makes extensive use of Alcott's journal writings and letters and makes clear where real life and fiction converged. The author describes the Alcotts' difficult lives, due in large part to Bronson, whose philosophical views kept the family near bankruptcy. Although Ruth is careful about her sources and end notes, it's not always apparent which ideas and events are hers and which are from Alcott's writings. Still, this is an interesting look at a well-loved figure, with black-and-white reproductions and photographs for added appeal. It's also a de facto introduction to transcendentalism. (bibliography, index) (Biography. 10-14)