The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott
The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

Author: Kelly O'Connor McNees

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2010-04-01

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1101186208

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A richly imagined, remarkably written story of the woman who created Little Women—and how love changed her in ways she never expected. Countless readers have fallen in love with Little Women. But how could the author—who never had a romance—write so convincingly of love and heartbreak without experiencing it herself? Deftly mixing fact and fiction, Kelly O’Connor McNees returns to the summer of 1855, when vivacious Louisa is twenty-two and bursting with a desire to free herself from family and societal constraints so she can do what she loves most. Stuck in small-town New Hampshire, she meets Joseph Singer, and as she opens her heart, Louisa finds herself torn between a love that takes her by surprise and her dream of independence as a writer in Boston. The choice she must make comes with a steep price that she will pay for the rest of her life.

Marmee & Louisa
Marmee & Louisa

Author: Eve LaPlante

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2013-11-19

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 1451620675

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Originally published: New York: Free Press, 2012.

Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott

Author: Harriet Reisen

Publisher: Macmillan + ORM

Published: 2010-10-25

Total Pages: 465

ISBN-13: 1429928816

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PBS and HBO documentary scriptwriter Harriet Reisen reveals the extraordinary woman behind the beloved American classic as never before. Louisa May Alcott is the perfect gift for fans of Little Women and of Greta Gerwig's adaptation starring Meryl Streep, Emma Watson, and Saoirse Ronan. “At last, Louisa May Alcott has the biography that admirers of Little Women might have hoped for.” —The Wall Street Journal's 10 Best Books of the Year A fresh, modern take on the remarkable Louisa May Alcott, Harriet Reisen's vivid biography explores the author's life in the context of her works, many of which are to some extent autobiographical. Although Alcott secretly wrote pulp fiction, harbored radical abolitionist views, and served as a Civil War nurse, her novels went on to sell more copies than those of Herman Melville and Henry James. Stories and details culled from Alcott's journals, together with revealing letters to family, friends, and publishers, plus recollections of her famous contemporaries, provide the basis for this lively account of the author's classic rags-to-riches tale.

The Myth of Surrender
The Myth of Surrender

Author: Kelly O'Connor McNees

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2022-03-01

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 1643139312

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What if the most important decision of your life was not yours to make? This vivid and powerful novel follows two women whose paths intersect at a maternity home in the "Baby Scoop Era." In 1960, free-spirited Doreen is a recent high-school grad and waitress in a Chicago diner. She doesn't know Margie, sixteen and bookish, who lives a sheltered suburban life, but they soon meet when unplanned pregnancies send them to the Holy Family Home for the Wayward in rural Illinois. Assigned as roommates because their due dates line up, Margie and Doreen navigate Holy Family’s culture of secrecy and shame and become fast friends as the weight of their coming decision — to keep or surrender their babies — becomes clear. Except, they soon realize, the decision has already been made for them. Holy Family, like many of the maternity homes where 1.5 million women “relinquished” their babies in what is now known as the Baby Scoop Era, is not interested in what the birth mothers want. In its zeal to make the babies “legitimate” in closed adoptions, Holy Family manipulates and bullies birth mothers, often coercing them to sign away their parental rights while still under the effects of anesthesia. What happens next, as their babies are born and they leave Holy Family behind, will force each woman to confront the depths and limits of motherhood and friendship, and fight to reclaim control over their own lives. Written by the acclaimed author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott and Undiscovered Country, The Myth of Surrender explores a hidden chapter of American history that still reverberates across the lives of millions of women and their children.

The Little Women Letters
The Little Women Letters

Author: Gabrielle Donnelly

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2012-06-05

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 1451617194

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With her older sister planning a wedding and her younger sister preparing to launch a career on the stage, Lulu can't help but feel like the failure of the Atwater family. Lulu loves her sisters dearly and wants nothing but the best for them, but she finds herself stuck in a rut. When her mother sends her to look for some old family recipes in the attic, she stumbles across a collection of letters written by her great-great-grandmother Josephine March. Jo writes in detail about every aspect of her life: her older sister Meg's new home and family; her younger sister Amy's many admirers; the family's shared grief over losing Beth; and her own feelings towards a handsome young German. As Lulu delves deeper into the lives of the March sisters, she finds solace and guidance, but can her great-great-grandmother help Lulu find a place in a world so different from the one Jo knew?--From publisher description.

The Lost Continent
The Lost Continent

Author: Bill Bryson

Publisher: Anchor Canada

Published: 2012-09-25

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 0385674562

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"I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to." And, as soon as Bill Bryson was old enough, he left. Des Moines couldn't hold him, but it did lure him back. After ten years in England he returned to the land of his youth, and drove almost 14,000 miles in search of a mythical small town called Amalgam, the kind of smiling village where the movies from his youth were set. Instead he drove through a series of horrific burgs, which he renamed Smellville, Fartville, Coleslaw, Coma, and Doldrum. At best his search led him to Anywhere, USA, a lookalike strip of gas stations, motels and hamburger outlets populated by obese and slow-witted hicks with a partiality for synthetic fibres. He discovered a continent that was doubly lost: lost to itself because he found it blighted by greed, pollution, mobile homes and television; lost to him because he had become a foreigner in his own country.

An Old-Fashioned Girl
An Old-Fashioned Girl

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Publisher: BoD - Books on Demand

Published: 2023-10-09

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13:

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"An Old-Fashioned Girl" tells the story of Polly Milton, a young girl from the countryside who goes to visit her wealthy and sophisticated friends in the city. The novel is structured in two parts, with the first part focusing on Polly's childhood visit and the second part on her experiences as a young woman. In the first part, Polly stays with the Shaw family, including Tom, Maud, and Fanny. She is initially seen as old-fashioned and unsophisticated compared to her more fashionable city friends. However, her kindness, honesty, and good-hearted nature soon win over the Shaw family, and she becomes a beloved member of their household. The novel explores the contrast between Polly's simple, virtuous upbringing and the more worldly values of her city friends. Polly's influence on the Shaws and her ability to maintain her integrity in the face of societal pressures serve as central themes. In the second part of the book, Polly returns to the city as a young woman, and the story follows her experiences as she navigates the challenges of adulthood, including romance, career aspirations, and the importance of staying true to oneself. Polly's character development is a central focus as she matures and finds her place in the world. "An Old-Fashioned Girl" is known for its moral and ethical themes, as well as its portrayal of the importance of character and virtue. It contrasts the values of simplicity and authenticity with the superficiality of social conventions. The novel also explores themes of friendship, love, and the pursuit of happiness. Louisa May Alcott's "An Old-Fashioned Girl" is a charming and heartwarming coming-of-age story that continues to resonate with readers for its timeless lessons and the enduring appeal of its characters.

The Secrets of Mary Bowser
The Secrets of Mary Bowser

Author: Lois Leveen

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2012-05-15

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 0062107917

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“Masterfully written, The Secrets of Mary Bowser shines a new light onto our country’s darkest history.” —Brunonia Barry, bestselling author of The Lace Reader “Packed with drama, intrigue, love, loss, and most of all, the resilience of a remarkable heroine….What a treat!” —Kelly O'Connor McNees, author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott Based on the remarkable true story of a freed African American slave who returned to Virginia at the onset of the Civil War to spy on the Confederates, The Secrets of Mary Bowser is a masterful debut by an exciting new novelist. Author Lois Leveen combines fascinating facts and ingenious speculation to craft a historical novel that will enthrall readers of women’s fiction, historical fiction, and acclaimed works like Cane River and Cold Mountain that offer intimate looks at the twin nightmares of slavery and Civil War. A powerful and unforgettable story of a woman who risked her own freedom to bring freedom to millions of others, The Secrets of Mary Bowser celebrates the courageous achievements of a little known but truly inspirational American heroine.

A Long Fatal Love Chase
A Long Fatal Love Chase

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Publisher: Dell

Published: 1996-12-02

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 0440223016

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"I'd gladly sell my soul to Satan for a year of freedom," cries impetuous Rosamond Vivian to her callous grandfather. Then, one stormy night, a brooding stranger appears in her remote island home, ready to take Rosamond to her word. Spellbound by the mysterious Philip Tempest, Rosamond is seduced with promises of love and freedom, then spirited away on Tempest's sumptuous yacht. But she soon finds herself trapped in a web of intrigue, cruelty, and deceit. Desperate to escape, she flees to Italy, France, and Germany, from Parisian garret to mental asylum, from convent to chateau, as Tempest stalks every step of the fiery beauty who has become his obsession. A story of dark love and passionate obsession that was considered "too sensational" to be published in the authors lifetime, A Long Fatal Love Chase was written for magazine serialization in 1866, two years before the publication of Little Women. Buried among Louisa May Alcott's papers for more than a century, its publication is a literary landmark—a novel that is bold, timeless, and mesmerizing."

In Need of a Good Wife
In Need of a Good Wife

Author: Kelly O'Connor McNees

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2012-10-02

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 0425257924

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Richly detailed, vivid, and unforgettable, this is an extraordinary novel about three women challenging the American West—and unpredictable fate—for a future only the most daring can secure… For Clara Bixby, brokering mail-order brides is a golden business opportunity—and a desperately needed chance to start again. If she can help New York women find husbands in a far-off Nebraska town, she can build an independent new life away from her own loss and grief. Clara’s ambitions are shared by two other women, who are also willing to take any risk. Quiet immigrant Elsa hopes to escape her life of servitude and at last shape her own destiny. And Rowena, the willful, impoverished heiress, jumps at the chance to marry a humble stranger and repay a heartbreaking debt. All three struggle to find their true place in the world, leaving behind who they were in order to lay claim to the person they want to be. Along the way, each must face unexpected obstacles and dangerous choices, but they also help to forge a nation unlike any that came before.