The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

I read all of the Little Women books as a child - more than once - so I'm a big fan of LMA. This novel does a fabulous job of humanizing her and showing the passionate, vital person behind the books. The author writes in her afterword that she figured there must be some passion in the woman who created Jo March so she created a love affair for her.

These are great characters, and I love all of the similarities between Louise and her sisters and the girls of Little Women. But even if you aren't a fan of LMA, I think you'll still find this to be a really good story about a 19th century woman who doesn't want to lead the kind of life a woman is expected to live, and who wants to be the person she is.

This novel makes me want to go back to all of the old LMA books, and it makes me want to check out some of the "not for young girls" stuff the author mentions in her afterword.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott