REVIEW for Louisa May Alcott

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. and Ashley for sending me this great, great book!








TITLE: Louisa May Alcott

AUTHOR: Harriet Reisen

GENRE: Biography

RATING: 4 Stars


I have read my share of books on Louisa May Alcott as she is a favorite author, along with Lucy Maud Montgomery. It seems to me that they both have so much in common, starting with the fact that they both presented a very different "public" image and face than the one they really wore in their personal lives.

Louisa May Alcott, written by Harriet Reisen manages to look pass through all the public stuff that we have been fed for years and manages to dig deep to explain to us who Alcott really was. This book certainly does not offer us any fluff about the author's family, life and thoughts and I loved this about it! I have to admit that I am a little shocked at some of the revelations in the book, i.e. specifically about how dysfunctional the Alcott parents/children were. Yes, there had been inklings of this in other books, but this book rips the lid off the "wonderful Abby and Bronson" to brings us to two people who seemed to put their own views and needs above their children. I was also surprised at just how daring and sometimes crude Alcott could be - but this somehow just made me like her more.

Her life was both tragic and lucky - it must have been a very odd life for her to live - it certainly was an odd life to read about.

I am thrilled that I got the opportunity of reading this book.