A Garland for Girls

by Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 - March 6, 1888) was an American novelist. She is best known for the novel Little Women, set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts, and published in 1868. This novel is loosely based on her childhood experiences with her three sisters. Alcott was the daughter of noted transcendentalist and educator Amos Bronson Alcott and Abigail May Alcott. Alcott's early education included lessons from the naturalist Henry David Thoreau. She received the majority of her schooling from her father. She received some instruction also from writers and educators such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Margaret Fuller, who were all family friends. She later described these early years in a newspaper sketch entitled "Transcendental Wild Oats." The sketch was reprinted in the volume Silver Pitchers (1876), which relates the family's experiment in "plain living and high thinking" at Fruitlands. As an adult, Alcott was an abolitionist and a feminist. In 1847, the family housed a fugitive slave for one week. In 1848, Alcott read and admired the "Declaration of Sentiments" published by the Seneca Falls Convention on women's rights. Poverty made it necessary for Alcott to go to work at an early age as an occasional teacher, seamstress, governess, domestic helper, and writer. Her first book was Flower Fables (1849), a selection of tales originally written for Ellen Emerson, daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson. In 1860, Alcott began writing for the Atlantic Monthly. When the American Civil War broke out, she served as a nurse in the Union Hospital at Georgetown, D.C., for six weeks in 1862-1863. Her letters home - revised and published in the Commonwealth and collected as Hospital Sketches (1863, republished with additions in 1869) - garnered her first critical recognition for her observations and humor. Her novel Moods (1864), based on her own experience, was also promising. She also wrote passionate, fiery novels and sensational stories under the nom de plume A. M. Barnard. Among these are A Long Fatal Love Chase and Pauline's Passion and Punishment. Her protagonists for these tales are willful and relentless in their pursuit of their own aims, which often include revenge on those who have humiliated or thwarted them. Written in a style which was wildly popular at the time, these works achieved immediate commercial success. (Wikipedia.org)

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Childrens Classics

156 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1888

About the author

Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known for writing the novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886). Raised in New England by her transcendentalist parents, Abigail May Alcott and Amos Bronson Alcott, she grew up among many well-known intellectuals of the day, including Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Alcott's family suffered from financial difficulties, and while she worked to help support the family from an early age, she also sought an outlet in writing. She began to receive critical success for her writing in the 1860s. Early in her career, she sometimes used pen names such as A.M. Barnard, under which she wrote lurid short stories and sensation novels for adults that focused on passion and revenge.
Published in 1868, Little Women is set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, and is loosely based on Alcott's childhood experiences with her three sisters, Abigail May Alcott Nieriker, Elizabeth Sewall Alcott, and Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt. The novel was well-received at the time and is still popular today among both children and adults. It has been adapted for stage plays, films, and television many times.
Alcott was an abolitionist and a feminist and remained unmarried throughout her life. She also spent her life active in reform movements such as temperance and women's suffrage. She died from a stroke in Boston on March 6, 1888, just two days after her father's death.

Reviews

[Majenta · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Written for my own amusement," says Alcott herself? Well, the original readers she won over with LITTLE WOMEN and LITTLE MEN probably scooped up this whole bouquet of charming stories, which probably left a favorable fragrance and a curiosity as to what Ms. Alcott's next offering would be. Today's readers of LITTLE WOMEN who saw GARLAND in the list of "You Might Also Enjoy These From This Author" might be curious about it. Have a scent of these clippings:

"...her love of books and desire to cultivate her mind was very natural, but the danger in her case would be in the neglect of other things equally important, too varied reading, and a superficial knowledge of many authors rather than a true appreciation of a few of the best and greatest." (A good point at 29%)

"...was unconsciously contrasting the life here with the frivolous one at home, made up of public show and private sacrifice of comfort, dignity, and peace. Here were people who dressed simply, enjoyed conversation, kept up their accomplishments, even when old..." (30%)

"'All flowers open and show their hearts when the sun shines on them at the right moment.' 'I wish human flowers would.'" (40%)

"...the noise was occasioned by Joe Sibley's tumbling out of his berth in a fit of nightmare caused by Welsh rarebits and poached eggs at eleven at night." (55%)

"'I like splendor, and I AM rather set up to think I've spoken to a live duchess; but I think I like her beautiful old face and charming manners more than her fine coach or great name.'...'We Americans affect to scorn titles , but too many of us hanker for them in secret, and bow before very poor imitations of the real thing.'" (61%)

"'Of course you have a doll?' and Miss Henny asked the question as solemnly as if she had said, 'Have you a soul?'" (66%)

Are you up for surrounding yourself with the lovely scents of good sense and other such sweet values? You may find yourself wading in "preciousness," but it's better than drowning in sewage while having more of it poured over you. Ms. Alcott would hope you would be glad you found it, and so do I.

Thanks for reading! Blessings!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute delight to my heart. Each of these stories were sweet and just made me want to hug the book.

May Flowers ~ This was such a wonderful story about young girls helping others. It was realistic and inspiring. I loved seeing all kinds of charity work, including a young woman helping her family.

An Ivy Soray and Ladies' Slippers ~ What a picturesque delight this story was. It felt a little like Little Women (three sisters are struggling to make ends meet. I loved how it brought beauty into a hard life.

Pansies ~ This was my favorite and had good things to say about what we read (I also came out with a reading list) It made me ridiculously happy that I had read two of the major books talked about.

Water-Lilies ~ This one was okay. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite.

Poppies and Wheat ~ I loved the "you reap what you sow" message of this story. It was also fun to see two friends travel.

Little Button-Rose ~ I love how a child brings two families together, but I didn't adore Rosemond..

Mountain-Laurel ~ A beautiful story with a homey feel and lovely characters.

[Teri-K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read these sentimental stories as a young girl. Though they were never my favorite of Alcott's books, they're still a treat for those who enjoy old-fashioned stories. They tell the everyday joys and troubles of young girls, some rich and educated, others poor and simple. They're a bit didactic, but I have to agree that "They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts", and it's nice to read stories that don't shy from expressing high ideals. Although she can't help giving her girls lively fun, even when they're learning important life lessons.

The real strength of this book for me is Alcott's attention to description. She seems to know just how to choose those details that will bring a person or place to life, and after rereading this I can still see Ruth on the rocky island, her arms bare while she balances a pan of frying fish and a coffee pot over an open fire. Whatever the constraints of the times, Alcott's writing ability shines through.

[Gloria Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il titolo di questa deliziosa raccolta di racconti nasce dal fatto che ogni piccola storia è denominata con un fiore particolare che simboleggia le virtù e il modo di affrontare la vita di ogni sua protagonista. Le ragazze descritte dalla Alcott sono tutte diverse per carattere ed estrazione sociale ma, come i fiori, tendono tutte a migliorare la propria vita e quella degli altri con piccoli gesti significativi e pieni di amore. Questo libro insegna che è possibile fare sempre qualcosa di buono nel proprio piccolo, che il lavoro se affrontato con cognizione di causa nobilita l'animo e che la gentilezza è una di quelle virtù cardine che riescono a migliorare la vita. Una ghirlanda per ragazze è dunque un libro di buoni sentimenti, anche se un po' ridondanti, da leggere nei momenti più tristi della propria esistenza e che ricorda a grandi e piccini che le vere gioie della vita sono da ricercare nella bellezza del quotidiano e nel coraggio di essere gentili.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se mi conoscete un pochino, sapete che Louisa May Alcott è una delle mie scrittrici del cuore. Una ghirlanda per ragazze è una raccolta di racconti dove elementi floreali e/o botanici caratterizzano i rispettivi titoli, oltre a comparire più o meno simbolicamente nelle storie. Le protagoniste sono spesso fanciulle che cercano di fare il loro meglio in ogni circostanza (sociale, familiare, lavorativa etc...), ma non pensate che siano solo vicende didascaliche o moraleggianti. Alcott non dimentica mai di usare l'ironia e il buon senso, doti sempre attuali e che me la rendono estremamente cara.

[aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little gem of a book. A collection of various stories, each titled with the name of a flower or flowers. They are obviously instructional stories aimed at teaching morals and good graces to young girls. Although the stories are a bit saccharine at times, I couldn't help but admire the way they teach the virtues of patience, hard work, and basically spending your time and energy doing worthwhile things.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
It’s been a long, long time since I’ve read these stories.
I enjoyed them all, some more than others. The characters were unique and different. Some more likable than others, but none were horrible and utterly unlikable.
I love Louisa May Alcott’s style of writing. Each story has some little moral in it, and while the focus is not on doing what is right for Christ’s sake, they are still good.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Review
On a recent (extremely brief) trip to Boston I was craving Alcott, of course, and recalled the lovely Boston girls in "May Flowers." It was delightful revisiting them! This time I especially noticed the floral motif as an image for the girls adorning themselves with good works. I was also struck by "Mountain-Laurel and Maiden-Hair," because a budding poet is discouraged from writing poetry, not by an antagonist, but by a wise mother! Rather interesting given Alcott's fame for writing Jo March, who has inspired generations upon generations of scribblers. "Poppies and Wheat" made me wonder if anyone has done a study of Alcott's European travels mapped onto her character's jaunts. It would be so interesting to see how she re-viewed Europe, which she visited as an adult, through the young eyes of her characters.

I still find these stories touching and sweet--so glad to have grown up with them, and glad to keep reading them now.

2022 Review
A Garland for Girls was one of my childhood favorites. I’ve never actually read it, though, having always listened to the audiobook. It was fun to read it this time around. As usual, I’d forgotten most of the short stories except for “Water-Lilies.”

According to the preface, Alcott wrote these stories “during a period of enforced seclusion,” which is #relatable. Given the date (September 1887), it’s likely that she wrote these as an invalid prior to her death in March 1888. I believe these stories are among the last of her writings.

“May Flowers,” the first story, was especially charming to me, given the course I completed on Protestant & Catholic women’s benevolence in nineteenth-century America. Six girls decide to work independently of each other in benevolence projects and relate their stories at the end of the year. At first, I was prepared to cringe, given some of the patronizing methods I studied. Yet, one can always trust Alcott to turn around expectations about women’s work. Polly in An Old-Fashioned Girl is the quintessential Alcott heroine, to me, because she emulates Alcott’s own working lifestyle. Polly’s “old-fashioned” values turn into a “new-fangled” lifestyle, for she lived on her own in a large city and supported herself by teaching music. The girls in “Mayf Fowers” take pity on the “workingwomen and their hard lives,” and each find a project to take on. I simply adored how Alcott used these stories to give her own commentary on the lives of workingwomen. The common thread, as usual, was transcendentalism, for Alcott demonstrated a belief in innate goodness that deserved economic support. She said something that remains particularly relevant in 2020: the girls were shown “what their pretty clothes cost the real makers of them, and how much injustice, suffering, and wasted strength went into them.” Count on Alcott to take down fast fashion before it was even that fast.

Anna helped two sisters who worked in a shop. A more “romantic” sort of story would have had her find rich husbands or governess-ships or something for them, to lift them out of the “indignity” of work. Instead, Anna convinced the shopkeeper to send work home to the invalid sister so she could still earn, and to make working conditions better for all employees. She then set out to assist—not lead—a union for working women who sought intellectual stimulation. Overall, this was a form of benevolence I could get behind. Alcott was a champion for working women in the nineteenth century.

The second story, related by Ella, was particularly dear. Quite by accident, she wound up in a drab shop kept by a woman to support her mother. The woman, Almira, was a great hand at fancy work and millinery, but was forced to focus on other things due to a lack of customers and the need of her elderly mother. Ella scrabbled up some free materials so Almira and her bedridden mother could both work on the fancy things they loved, and eventually sent so much business their way that she worked in the shop as needed. The story of this small business, and Ella using her needle, not just her purse, to support it, warmed my heart.

These two stories stuck out to me from “May Flowers.” I recently saw a woman post the phrase, “victorian-like existence,” [sic] to describe women whose lives were somewhat...peaceful? The original post mentioned meaningful work, baking, and hiking as activities of women living this halcyon existence. We must have discrete notions of what is “Victorian,” because I hear the phrase and think of pollution, racism, child labor, workhouses, and the Circumlocution Office. The truest fictional government office to have ever existed. I’m not sure what the original poster was intending by using “Victorian” as a way to describe women who have margin in their lives, but it was certainly not historical accuracy. “May Flowers” demonstrates the nineteenth-century white American woman’s struggle in a rapidly industrializing society, her rise into the middle class, and her conscience as a wealthy person. Overall, I couldn’t help but read “May Flowers” as an encouragement from Alcott to her young readers to do benevolence work themselves, to not parade their efforts, but to “hope and keep busy.” And that’s what I need to remember these days.

The rest of the stories are charming enough, with very similar heroines (pretty much all working for their livings, or dual heroines with a wealthier girl) and similar storylines of doing good and reaping rewards. I find it endlessly funny that Alcott rails against "novels" and "lower" literature, when she produced such stories.

All of the stories are rather preachy, but that didn’t bother me too much. Perhaps, I read these at such an impressionable age that I internalized the messages, became something of that ideal womanhood Alcott espoused, and felt rather gratified when reading the sermon-y bits again. Perhaps, I crave the values of hard work, decency, kindness, and genuine care for others in these days. The preachier portions didn’t sit badly with me, surprising since they disappointed me in my recent re-read of Jack and Jill. Either way, A Garland for Girls was nice to read again.

[Truly · Rating 4 out of 5]

“…setiap tumbuhan simbolis hidup di tempatnya masing-masing dan menjalani kehidupannya yang telah ditetapkan.”

Wanita dan bunga

Sepertinya ungkapan yang cocok untuk menggambarkan buku ini. Buku ini berkisah mengenai kehidupan beberapa wanita dengan sentuhan bunga dalam kehidupannya. Antara lain Jessi dengan Bunga Ivy, Jane dengan Bunga Poppy, lalu Ruth dengan Bunga Teratai. Setiap bunga memberikan makna bagi kehidupan mereka dengan cara yang unik.

Cerita yang paling saya sukai adalah cerita Rangkaian Ivy dan Sepatu Dansa. Andai saja Louisa May Alcott masih hidup, saya akan mengajukan sebuah pertanyaan. Mengapa ia sering menggambarkan tokohnya berada dalam kondisi ekonomi yang menyedihkan. Dalam Little Women, sering terdapat cerita dimana keluraga tersebut harus menyiasati kehidupan agar mereka bisa bertahan. Jo yang mencari uang dengan menemani bibinya, kakak beradik pergi ke pesta dengan sarung tangan lumayan dipakai dan memegang yang bernoda agar tidak terlihat oleh orang lain.

Dalam Garland for Gilrs pada cerita Rangkaian Ivy dan Sepatu Dansa, juga banyak bagian yang berkisah mengenai Jessie dan Laura Delano berkompromi dengani hidup ini. Bayangkan betapa malunya Jessie saat seseorang menemukan sepatu tarinya yang kondisinya sudah tidak layak pakai lagi. Bagian tepinya robek, bagian tumit melesak ditambah tali dan kait yang rusak. Padahal dulu mereka berdua merupakan anaka dari keluarga kaya. Untunglah semua berakhir dengan membahagiakan. Alih-alih membeli sepatu tari, Jessie lebih suka membeli cat untuk kakaknya yang pandai melukis jika memiliki uang lebih. Cerita yang menyentuh.

Cerita selanjutnya yang saya sukai adalah Cerita May Flowers. Cerita itu memberikan saya sebuah pelajaran kehidupan. Kadang memang perbuatan baik tidak selalu berakibat baik, atau bahkan membuat kita menderita. Namun ternyata, walau perbuatan baik itu malah merugikan kita, suatu saat kita akan menerima balasan dari kebaikan yang kita lakukan. Jadi biar bagaimana, perbuatan baik akan memberikan kebaikan pada diri kita juga pada akhirnya. Untuk itu, jangan ragu membagikan kebaikan

Ajakan berlomba-lomba berbuat kebaikan secara diam-diam dengan tidak membiarkan tangan kiri kita tahu apa yang tangan kanan lakukan sungguh sangat mulia. Para gadis berlomba melakukan kebaikan. Walau sempat merasa putus namun pada akhirnya mereka bisa belajar untuk lebih menghargai apa yang mereka miliki dan mau berbagi.

Dibandingkan dengan saudaranya saya tetap lebih menyukai Little Women. Bukan karena ini merupakan kumpulan cerita. Namun karena gaya penulisannya. Pada awal cerita, semuanya mengalir dengan begitu indah. Namun saat mendekati akhir, terkesan tergesa-gesa. Cerita yang sudah dibangun dengan indah mendadak selesai dengan begitu saja. Seakan terpotong di tengah jalan.

Saya menemukan adanya paragraf yang nyaris serupa maknanya. Paragraf di halaman 44, “ Tapi kali ini Mama berkeras… “ bermakna sama dengan paragraf di halaman 45, “ Namun sekali ini Mama….” Bagian yang sedikit mengganggu buat saya adalah penulisan kata dengan huruf besar guna penekanan. Mungkin maksudnya sekedar memberikan makna yang berbeda, namun entah kenapa menjadi tidak nyaman di mata saya. Mungkinkah disiasati dengan cara lain, seperti dibuat tebal atau miring? Sekedar usul....

Saya penasaran akan pemilihan Bunga Poppy dalam cerita ini. Bunga poppy termasuk ke dalam jenis bunga-bunga liar yang biasanya tumbuh mengelompok di padang rumput atau pegunungan. Warnanya juga beraneka ragam, seperti merah darah, biru, ungu, putih, dan orange. Bunga ini sering digunakan sebagai simbol kematian atau tidur panjang. Pada kebudayaan Romawai, bunga ini persembahan bagi orang meninggal. Sering kali bunga ini dipahat di batu nisan, perlambang tidur abadi. Ada juga yang melambangkan reinkarnasi setelah kematian

Penjabaran itu sangat tidak cocok untuk sosok Ethel apalagi Jane dalam Cerita Bunga Poppy dan Gandum.Apalagi saat cwerita ini dibuat, bunga Poppy sepertinya masih bermakna kematian. Kenapa yah Louisa memilih bungan ini … Jika ingin mengumpamakan sosok Ethel, sepertinya Ethel bukan sosok yang mematikan, walau sering berpikir pendek dan keras kepala. Jika sosok Jane, sungguh tidak mungkin! Jane adalah sosok gadis yang cerdas, rendah hati, tegas.

Setiap diri wanita bisa dianalogikan dalam bunga
Setiap wanita juga menyukai bunga yang berbeda dengan aneka alasan
Jadi apakah bunga favorit anda....?
Anda adalah bunga....

[Annisa Purnama Sari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini adalah kumpulan beberapa cerita pendek. Kita akan menjumpai nama-nama bunga di setiap judul cerita. Mawar Mungil adalah cerita yang paling menarik. Cerita ini mengingatkan ku pada karakter Mary Lenox dalam novel The Secret Garden.

[Speakercoret · Rating 3 out of 5]

hadiah ikut kuis di facebook :)
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Sebenarnya sih, aku kurang suka sama kumpulan cerpen, karena pas dapet cerita yg bagus, merasa sayang cuma pendek doang, pengennya panjang biar bacanya lamaaa :p Tp buku ini kumpulan kisah pendek juga ternyata, ada 6 kisah gadis2 muda dan 1 gadis cilik yang dengan caranya masih2 berjuang mengatasimasalah dalam kehidupan mereka, cinta, keluarga, pekerjaan, persahabatan
Ini 7 kisahnya :
1. Rangkaian Ivy & sepatu kaca 3,5*
2. Bunga Poppy & Gandum 2,5*
3. May Flowers 4,5 *
4. Pansy 1,5 *
5. Teratai 2,5*
6. Mawar Mungil 4,5*
7. Bunga Laurel gunung * Suplir 2*
Jadi Kasih 3* deh buat bukunya…
Bagi yang suka green gables, laura, little woman n cerita yg model2 gitu, aku rasa pasti suka buku ini *sotoymenjelangsiang*

[Sabrina Neumann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sure this would have been a much more enjoyable read when I was ten. The majority of the stories resolved in a fairy tale manner, and the lack of any real conflict made each tale more unbearable than the last.

The fault is not in Alcott's writing style as much as it is with cynicism brought on by age and experience.

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of my least favorite collection of LMA's short stories I have ever read. The only story I really enjoyed was Mayflowers. Which is really unusual because I LOVE LMA's books! But the rest just grated on my nerves. Especially the one about Rosamond. She acted like an adult when she was only a kid and it was really grating.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sweet collection of short stories. I find it very clever that everyone short story as a floral theme, linking them all to the title. Of course, it is full of good sentiments and morals, but it's a very enjoyable read!

[August A.P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories by Miss Alcott.

Actually this book is good, if it read by teenagers, a woman who began to grown up.
So full of values of life. It so obvious.

It good, but I prefer An Old Fashioned Girl.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just the sort of little morality tales you would expect from Louisa May Alcott. Sweet, but a bit treacly for modern tastes.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Davvero molto molto buonista.
Raccolta di racconti estremamente paternalistica e didascalica.
Lavoro molto minore della Alcott.

[Lilirose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Louisa May Alcott è senza dubbio la scrittrice che ha avuto più influenza su di me: la mia personalità di lettrice si è formata sui suoi romanzi e Piccole donne è ancora oggi il mio libro del cuore.
Questa premessa per arrivare a dire che se perfino io ho trovato quest'opera intrisa di moralismo, significa che ha davvero passato il segno.
E' l'ultimo lavoro dell'autrice, una raccolta di sette racconti destinati ad intrattenere ma soprattutto educare le giovani donne. Sono tutte vicende piuttosto banali, che si dipanano nella maniera più scontata possibile tra povertà industriosa e virtù ricompensata. Ogni tanto si scorge un barlume della vivacità della Alcott (in particolare nel racconto Bocciolo di rosa, il migliore della raccolta), ma è sepolto sotto un mare di retorica e sentimentalismo. I personaggi si prendono troppo sul serio e non ci sono sfumature, anche leggere romanzi poco impegnati o voler fare shopping in vacanza invece di visitare monumenti sono peccati da cui redimersi.
Una traduzione italiana poco ispirata, con refusi ed errori di grammatica e sintassi, completa il quadro.
Si lascia leggere perché parliamo pur sempre di una grande scrittrice, ma è sicuramente una delle sue opere peggiori.

[Micol Marazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sette racconti che ci ricordano in modo poetico e sentimentale come le gioie più sincere e profonde nascano spesso dalle sorgenti più semplici; prima fra tutte, la piena soddisfazione che deriva dall'aiutare il prossimo, di qualunque entità siano i mezzi a nostra disposizione. Un inno alle piccole cose 🌸

[AngieA Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This hardcover edition printed in 1980 cost me $4.95 and the cover is illustrated with a decidedly 1970s girl in a lace dress and daisies in her hair. The collection of short stories inside are of mixed value, in my opinion. Each is "inspired" by the flowers given to the author during a "period of enforced seclusion." As is usual with LMA, there is a moral or lesson to be learned and virtue is ultimately rewarded.

In "Mayflowers" a group of girls who gather each week to sew and read decide to do something helpful while they spend the winter in town. Each chooses a project to be carried out in secret to report on before separating for the summer. Each pursues her project fit to her personality and they all succeed in learning a thing or two along away.

Of the seven stories in this collection, "An Ivy Spray and Ladies' Slippers" is a favorite for the strong independent nature of its heroine, though it's her delicate sister who claims the heart of the gentleman who befriends them.

The story of "Pansies" relates the generousity of a widow to three young ladies visiting her for the summer. Each girl has her own approach to the literature she chooses and at one point are told, when one decides to concentrate on "wise books" that "it is a very sensible desire, and I wish more girls had it. Only don't be greedy, and read too much; cramming and smattering is as bad as promiscuous novel-reading, or no reading at all." And, "I always judge people's characters a good deal by the books they like, as well as by the company they keep; so one should be careful, for this is a pretty good test."

My favorite of all the seven is "Water-Lilies", the story of Ruth, a girl of the lighthouse island who cares for her grandfather and brother. LMA was free with her descriptions of the snobby guests at the resort where Ruth supplies them with fresh water-lilies for their hair and dresses. But one guest is impressed with Ruth's independent, hardworking spirit and promises a better life in the future.

"Poppies and Wheat" and "Mountain-Laurel and Maidenhair" both examine the relationship between wealthy young women and a girl of more humble circumstances. As usual, each learns valuable lessons in life; one rewarded for her virtue and the other much improved for the association.

"Little Button-Rose" is the tale of an eight year old girl left with Aunts Henny and Penny and cousin Cicely while her parents travel Europe. As with all of LMA's good girls, she brings light and life to the old girls and heals a long-standing breach between the Aunts and their neighbor.

If I were to read this book again, I believe I would skip several of the stories and only read the least sentimental of the selections.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of stories was better than I thought it would be. Louisa May Alcott was a talented writer and even if the stories began on a dull "I know exactly where this is heading" note, all of them had a twist towards the end. If you read this book, commit to finishing each story. Don't quit half-way through!

The book teaches many lessons that seem old-fashioned (it was written in 1887) but would be good for our current society to hear. Each story was an example, tight with symbolism, of the moral being emphasized. Most of the middles had passages that were preachy, but the characters had more layers than they seemed at first and there was always a twist after the middle.

[Jaq {Gwen} · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sembra che della Alcott io sia in grado di reggere solo Piccole donne, anche questo libro è instriso di pietismo religioso e della sempreverde retorica sui poveri virtuosi che sarebbero più felici dei ricchi (ahahahahah). Purtroppo parla un linguaggio un po' obsoleto per il sentire moderno.

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3. Alphabet 2022

[Itja · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tak ada gadis yang tak cantik, tak ada gadis yang tak menyukai bunga"
Sepertinya kalimat tersebut cukup untuk mewakili isi buku ini.
A Garland for Girls bersi kumpulan cerpen yang sangat cocok dibaca gadis-gadis muda, karena ceritanya sangat manis dan bertabur bunga. Dalam kumpulan cerpen ini setiap karakter diwakilkan dengan bunga, seperti bunga pansy melambangkan kebahagiaan dan kesetiaan.

[Jaclynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a charming and worthwhile addition to the books already on my shelf by Alcott. A collection of short stories, each based on a flower, and full of virtue and character. I probably enjoyed the first story best, featuring a group of girls who decide to go out and make a difference in others lives and then meet again after so many months to share their stories.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reading this on my iTouch, so it takes a while since I don't read on it often. I am liking this book of short stories, somewhat. I guess the only problem I have with it is the way the characters look down on a lot of people, the poor, those of color etc... But I take the time it was written into consideration, I mean what else can I do :)

[anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read, especially for young adults.

Great Book to remind us what the true values in life are. Although sometimes it seemed to me that the stories are a little too long,I definitely enjoyed reading them. And despite this book being written two hundred years ago it still can be applied today. Read it if you value character more than money.

[Acacia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was traveling in Europe and the Middle East over the past few months and found tremendous wisdom in these short stories by one of my favorite authors. "Poppies and Wheat" was especially insightful. I shall always come back to the Alcott canon whenever I feel disoriented and disillusioned by the chaos of modern life.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know I read this waaaay back in the day. Maybe when I was 11 or 12. A library find. I couldn't remember a single story in the whole bunch (garland).
Now as a fifty something, I have to say, the stories are a trifle dull. I'm sure in the 1880s this was a girl power kind of book. However, nowadays it's preachy as well as dull. A good read if you want to get all of LMAs books read.

[Riccardo Mainetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una splendida raccolta di racconti nei quali i fiori sono la metafora del carattere e dell'atteggiamento delle protagoniste nei confronti della vita e degli impegni di tutti i giorni. Nei racconti si osserva anche l'importanza del lavoro, anche il più umile, svolto con amore e dedizione così da fare della propria vita la più bella forma di poesia

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books as a child. Louisa May Alcott was an independent woman when that was not that socially acceptable. Her female characters demonstrate different facets of nineteenth century womanhood.