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The Story of Louisa May Alcott Determined Writer
Recounts the life of the noted nineteenth century writer, detailing her childhood in Pennsylvania and Boston and her later success as author of the classic "Little Women"
102 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1996
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October 4, 2026
The Dell Yearling biography “The Story of Louisa May Alcott, Determined Writer” by Marci Ridlon McGill was first published in 1988. The 12-chapter book has nine full page illustrations by Darcy May.
Louisa May Alcott at the age of 13 years was a prolific writer. She was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on November 29, 1832, to Abagail (Abba) and Bronson Alcott. Bronson was an exceptional teacher born on a farm, and his wife was from the wealthy May family of Boston. In their extended family were Governors, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Church leaders, lawyers, and educators. Her father was an idealist and a “man of ideas.” He and his wife lived atop a schoolhouse named Pune Place where Bronson taught classes. He spent many hours teaching male students, Louisa, and her older sister Anna the rigors of creative writing and basic sciences. He when Bronson’s benefactor Reuben Haines died Bronson and his family moved to Philadelphia where Bronson started another school. Then later the Alcotts moved to Boston arriving in 1832. After arriving Bronson opened a new school that he named Temple School. The school soon had 30 students from many of Boston’s best families. Bronson’s assistant was Elizabeth Peabody. The Alcott family then had a new baby girl named Elizabeth and a boy who sadly died soon after his birth. Louisa loved pretending to read books in her father’s collection, and she loved building playhouses using his dictionaries and diaries for walls and ceilings. At the age of seven years Louisa and her parents and Anna disliked slavery; they had many “free state” friends including Ralph Waldo Emerson who asked the Alcott family to move to his hometown in Concord, Massachusetts. Moving was a common practice for the Alcotts. In the first 28 years of Louisa’s life, they moved 29 times! At the age of eight she wrote her first poem “To the First Robin.” She then wrote many more poems and kept them in a daily journal where she also wrote about her activities. When she was o preteen she began writing plays, and she and her two sisters acted out the plays to the delight of her parents and friends. At the age of 16 years Louisa was encouraged by Mr. Emerson to start a school in his barn loft. Mr. Emerson’s daughter attended the school she started. Louisa disliked teaching in the barn. Abba was then offered a job as “a visitor to the poor” in Boston. She took the job and the Alcott family moved to Boston. In 1855 Louisa’s father showed a friend one of her poems which he liked very much. It H.R. friend asked her father to give him more of her poems to read. The publisher friend printed many her poems in a book of poetry. called “Flower Fables.” He paid her $32 for the poems. She was 23-year-old at the time of publication.
In 1862 during the Civil War Louisa wrote a letter to a hospital in Washington D.C. asking to be hired as a hospital nurse. She was thirty years old. She received a letter from the hospital telling her to go to Georgetown to fill a position at the Union Hotel Hospital. She took a train to New London, a boat to New York, another train to Washington D.C, and a cab to Georgetown. Without any training she was put in charge of a 40-bed hospital ward. Soon after she arrived at the hospital a Civil War battle caused many soldiers to enter the hospital; and her ward was full of wounded soldiers. Her medical team cleansed the soldiers and gave them food and water. Her patients were very ill, and Louisa herself became very ill. The hospital lead staff worker contacted Louisa’s father who came to the hospital and took her back to Boston. She worked in the hospital for only one month. When she returned home it took her many weeks to recover from her ailments. The letters she sent to her mother and father from the hospital where she worked became a book titled “Hospital Sketches.” In 1864 her book “Moods” was published. After the Civil War ended, she was contacted by Thomas Niles who was in charge Robert Brothers Publishing. In 1867 Niles asked her to write a children’s book. She wrote about events that she and her sisters experienced when they were growing up. Her book was titled “Little Women.” It was a “big hit!” The book sales made her very rich. Her next book “An Old-Fashioned Girl” and another best seller “Little Men” also had outstanding sales. She then wrote “Eight Cousins” and “Rose in Bloom.” Her wealth grew rapidly, and she shared her money with her parents and siblings. On November 27, 1877, her mother died. Shortly thereafter Louisa became disabled by typhoid. While struggling to recover she received a letter that reported her sister May had died. May’s young child Lulu arrived in Boston and Louisa became her foster mother. In 1886 she released the book “Jo’s Boys.” In March 1888 her father died; and on March 4th of the same year Louisa caught a severe cold and she died. She lives on even after death in her wonderful books and stories she left behind. The last two pages of Marci McGill’s biography of Louisa May Alcott has a timeline of the key events of Louisa’s life. (P
Louisa May Alcott at the age of 13 years was a prolific writer. She was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on November 29, 1832, to Abagail (Abba) and Bronson Alcott. Bronson was an exceptional teacher born on a farm, and his wife was from the wealthy May family of Boston. In their extended family were Governors, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Church leaders, lawyers, and educators. Her father was an idealist and a “man of ideas.” He and his wife lived atop a schoolhouse named Pune Place where Bronson taught classes. He spent many hours teaching male students, Louisa, and her older sister Anna the rigors of creative writing and basic sciences. He when Bronson’s benefactor Reuben Haines died Bronson and his family moved to Philadelphia where Bronson started another school. Then later the Alcotts moved to Boston arriving in 1832. After arriving Bronson opened a new school that he named Temple School. The school soon had 30 students from many of Boston’s best families. Bronson’s assistant was Elizabeth Peabody. The Alcott family then had a new baby girl named Elizabeth and a boy who sadly died soon after his birth. Louisa loved pretending to read books in her father’s collection, and she loved building playhouses using his dictionaries and diaries for walls and ceilings. At the age of seven years Louisa and her parents and Anna disliked slavery; they had many “free state” friends including Ralph Waldo Emerson who asked the Alcott family to move to his hometown in Concord, Massachusetts. Moving was a common practice for the Alcotts. In the first 28 years of Louisa’s life, they moved 29 times! At the age of eight she wrote her first poem “To the First Robin.” She then wrote many more poems and kept them in a daily journal where she also wrote about her activities. When she was o preteen she began writing plays, and she and her two sisters acted out the plays to the delight of her parents and friends. At the age of 16 years Louisa was encouraged by Mr. Emerson to start a school in his barn loft. Mr. Emerson’s daughter attended the school she started. Louisa disliked teaching in the barn. Abba was then offered a job as “a visitor to the poor” in Boston. She took the job and the Alcott family moved to Boston. In 1855 Louisa’s father showed a friend one of her poems which he liked very much. It H.R. friend asked her father to give him more of her poems to read. The publisher friend printed many her poems in a book of poetry. called “Flower Fables.” He paid her $32 for the poems. She was 23-year-old at the time of publication.
In 1862 during the Civil War Louisa wrote a letter to a hospital in Washington D.C. asking to be hired as a hospital nurse. She was thirty years old. She received a letter from the hospital telling her to go to Georgetown to fill a position at the Union Hotel Hospital. She took a train to New London, a boat to New York, another train to Washington D.C, and a cab to Georgetown. Without any training she was put in charge of a 40-bed hospital ward. Soon after she arrived at the hospital a Civil War battle caused many soldiers to enter the hospital; and her ward was full of wounded soldiers. Her medical team cleansed the soldiers and gave them food and water. Her patients were very ill, and Louisa herself became very ill. The hospital lead staff worker contacted Louisa’s father who came to the hospital and took her back to Boston. She worked in the hospital for only one month. When she returned home it took her many weeks to recover from her ailments. The letters she sent to her mother and father from the hospital where she worked became a book titled “Hospital Sketches.” In 1864 her book “Moods” was published. After the Civil War ended, she was contacted by Thomas Niles who was in charge Robert Brothers Publishing. In 1867 Niles asked her to write a children’s book. She wrote about events that she and her sisters experienced when they were growing up. Her book was titled “Little Women.” It was a “big hit!” The book sales made her very rich. Her next book “An Old-Fashioned Girl” and another best seller “Little Men” also had outstanding sales. She then wrote “Eight Cousins” and “Rose in Bloom.” Her wealth grew rapidly, and she shared her money with her parents and siblings. On November 27, 1877, her mother died. Shortly thereafter Louisa became disabled by typhoid. While struggling to recover she received a letter that reported her sister May had died. May’s young child Lulu arrived in Boston and Louisa became her foster mother. In 1886 she released the book “Jo’s Boys.” In March 1888 her father died; and on March 4th of the same year Louisa caught a severe cold and she died. She lives on even after death in her wonderful books and stories she left behind. The last two pages of Marci McGill’s biography of Louisa May Alcott has a timeline of the key events of Louisa’s life. (P
January 9, 2010
The more I read about Louisa the more I like her. I love how human these wonderful people were and yet, they accomplished what they felt driven to do in life...in my mind, what they were MEANT to do.
January 11, 2015
Such an interesting person and this biography is well written and engaging.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews