Alcott in Her Own Time: A Biographical Chronicle of Her LIfe, Drawn from Recollections, Interviews, and Memoirs by Family, Friends, and Associates

by Daniel Shealy

By 1888, twenty years after the publication of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was one of the most popular and successful authors America had yet produced. In her pre-Little Women days, she concocted blood-and-thunder tales for low wages; post-Little Women, she specialized in domestic novels and short stories for children. Collected here for the first time are the reminiscences of people who knew her, the majority of which have not been published since their original appearance in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of the printed recollections in this book appeared after Alcott became famous and showcase her as a literary lion, but others focus on her teen years, when she was living the life of Jo March; these intimate glimpses into the life of the Alcott family lead the reader to one conclusion: the family was happy, fun, and entertaining, very much like the fictional Marches. The recollections about an older and wealthier Alcott show a kind and generous, albeit outspoken, woman little changed by her money and status. From Annie Sawyer Downs's description of life in Concord to Anna Alcott Pratt's recollections of the Alcott sisters' acting days to Julian Hawthorne's neighborly portrait of the Alcotts, the thirty-six recollections in this copiously illustrated volume tell the private and public story of a remarkable life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

304 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2005

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because someone else asked about Alcott biographies and I came across this, which I hadn't read.

It's interesting to read these anecdotes by people who actually knew the Alcott family. Some are quite short, and some are articles or letters of several pages.

Of course, much of this material has been used, mentioned, and/or quoted in previous books, but I liked seeing it for myself. Also interesting is seeing how much or how little the stories match up with each other. And of course, Louisa sounds like a person worth knowing!

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique way to chronicle Louisa Alcott’s life through the words of others who knew her. However it was redundant at times. If you want to read a different type of biography of her life, this is worth the read.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is a wonderful primary source reference, including first and second person accounts of Alcott's life.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. The style is different than what I am use to. It was in the form of letters. Letters from people who knew LMA and her family. Some of them similar,some of them repetitive, and some that were contradictory. I would recommend it to anyone that is interested in Louisa May Alcott.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A picture of Louisa May Alcott emerges from the different descriptions and remembrances of people who met her. She seems to have had a very unusual childhood.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of reminiscences by people who knew her. Enjoyable but repetitive. No editorial analysis/evaluation.