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Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography Paperback – November 8, 2011

by Susan Cheever (Author)

4.4 102 ratings

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Louisa May Alcott never intended to write Little Women. She had dismissed her publisher’s pleas for such a novel. Written out of necessity to support her family, the book had an astounding success that changed her life, a life which turned out very differently from that of her beloved heroine Jo March.

In Louisa May Alcott, Susan Cheever, the acclaimed author of American Bloomsbury, returns to Concord, Massachusetts, to explore the life of one of its most iconic residents. Based on extensive research, journals, and correspondence, Cheever’s biography chronicles all aspects of Alcott’s life, from the fateful meeting of her parents to her death, just two days after that of her father. She details Bronson Alcott’s stalwart educational vision, which led the Alcotts to relocate each time his progressive teaching went sour; her unsuccessful early attempts at serious literature, including Moods, which Henry James panned; her time as a Civil War nurse, when she contracted pneumonia and was treated with mercury-laden calomel, which would affect her health for the rest of her life; and her vibrant intellectual circle of writers and reformers, idealists who led the charge in support of antislavery, temperance, and women’s rights.

Alcott’s independence defied the conventional wisdom, and her personal choices and literary legacy continue to inspire generations of women. A fan of Little Women from the age of twelve, and a distinguished author in her own right, Cheever brings a unique perspective to Louisa May Alcott’s life as a woman, a daughter, and a working writer.

Print length

298 pages
Language

English
Publication date

November 8, 2011
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.8 x 8.44 inches
ISBN-10

1416569928
ISBN-13

978-1416569923
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Lively and likable.”
—Elaine Showalter, The Washington Post

About the Author

Susan Cheever is the bestselling author of thirteen previous books, including five novels and the memoirs Note Found in a Bottle and Home Before Dark. Her work has been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the Boston Globe Winship Medal. She is a Guggenheim Fellow, a member of the Corporation of Yaddo, and a member of the Author's Guild Council. She teaches in the Bennington College M.F.A. program. She lives in New York City with her family.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (November 8, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 298 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1416569928
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1416569923
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.44 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #757,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,650 in Author Biographies
- #8,454 in Women's Biographies
- #10,925 in Historical Biographies (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 102 ratings

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Susan Cheever

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I was born in New York City and have lived here on and off my entire life--in fact I went to nursery school a few blocks from where I write this. It took me a long time to admit I was a writer--I had a career as a teacher and I loved it. When I was married I couldn't get a teaching job so by an amazing stroke of luck I went to work for my local small town newspaper. After a long time as a newspaper and magazine journalist, I took off to write a novel when I was 35 and I haven't looked back.

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4.4 out of 5

102 global ratings

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Rochelle Jewel Shapiro

who is Luisa May Alcott?

Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2023

Verified Purchase

Cheever answers this question as well as it can be answered by a biographer. She was a woman to her ownwho devoted herself to caring for her demanding nuclear family. But she also served as a nurse in thr Civil War, devoted herself to worthy causes, and became a brilliant writer

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D. Ramirez

Great take on a great writer!

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2013

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Rather than give us a dutiful all-too-typical recitation of chronological facts, Susan Cheever has elected to tread new territory, to create a reflection not only in the life of L. M. Alcott, but a reflection on the meaning of her life and what that holds for us today. Naturally, to accomplish this Susan Cheever had to borrow the "new journalism" approach of injecting her own thoughts and inexperiences into the text; but rather than detract from her subject in doing so, Cheever has achieved a rare hybrid of biography and personal memoir in which the subject's accomplishments serve to illuminate the way we live our lives today. Part of what makes Little Women a timeless classic is how we can reach across the centuries and relate to the sisters joys and sorrows. Susan Cheever has built upon and extended this quality. In short, she gives us a Louisa May Alcott for our time.

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Quick read

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2022

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I thought the book had too much about Bronson Alcott and not enough about Louisa May. But it was an interesting read, and I learned a lot about my favorite author from childhood.

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Kindle Customer

Interesting look at the life of this remarkable author in ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

Interesting look at the life of this remarkable author in the context of the world situation during her lifetime as well as personal friendships with neighbors..
Quite compelling.

4 people found this helpful

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Donald Sawyer

book arrived in good shape

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2021

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In process of reading book now. So far, so good. informative.

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2014

Verified Purchase

Fascinating! Very readable yet factual. I love Susan Cheever's style especially the way she weaves in historical events such as Louisa's experiences during the Civil War. The author also cautions us not to compare to current day social attitudes. I also read eeCummings and recommend it.

2 people found this helpful

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Cathtray

So enlightening

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2013

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Cheever's research seems boundless and her presentation of it was excellent. I learned so much about Alcott, the time in history, and how our world was so impacted by the little girl who grew up under the influence of unconventional adults.

3 people found this helpful

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L. Stanley

Not Worth the Money

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2015

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I didn't enjoy this book. A large portion of the biographical information is about people other than Louisa May Alcott. Also, the writer only made correlations between Alcott's life and one or two of her many books (the main one being Little Women). In my opinion, a lot of the familial assumptions made between Louisa May Alcott's father and Mr. March in Little Women were incorrect especially when the other books in that series are brought into consideration.

Louisa May Alcott is my favorite writer and I was really excited about reading this biography but it has been a real disappointment. If you are looking for a Louisa May Alcott biography, I would suggest you pass this one up in favor of something better written.

13 people found this helpful

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Jenny D.

Fascinating

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2023

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I bought this book following a visit to Louisa May Alcott’s house. The tour highlighted things I wasn’t aware of in Louisa’s life and that of her family. I am enjoying the book immensely.

Amazon カスタマー

『若草物語』のジョーと作者オルコット

Reviewed in Japan on October 30, 2017

Verified Purchase

『若草物語』の作者ルイザ・メイ・オルコットの生涯を、膨大な資料をもとに書いたもので、オルコット女史の生涯だけでなく、19世紀後半、南北戦争を中心とする数十年のアメリカの暮らしを大変興味深く物語っています。文章は平易で、ユーモアもあり、細やかで的確な表現力を持っています。　
　『若草物語』は多分に自伝的と言われていますが、この伝記はオルコットとジョーのずれを指摘しながら、現実をフィクションにしてゆく際の心の動きを辿っています。

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Susan Jane

Enjoyed This Biography

Reviewed in Australia on August 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

Not being a Louise May Alcott scholar or expert, I found this a lively, interesting read. Other reviewers who know far more about the subject than I do, have noted a number of factual errors; however, blissfully unaware of this, I enjoyed the book and found Susan Cheever's writing to my taste. I particularly like the way she paints the historical background of the time that Louisa May Alcott and her family lived in, including the Civil War in the USA. The book has inspired me to read more on the subject of Louisa May Alcott and her fascinating life.

J. mead

A wonderful author and women’s rights activist for her time

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2022

Verified Purchase

If you like Louisa’s stories, and also the films, I would recommend reading this book about her life. Such a great role model, and I learned a number of things about her which I was unaware of. A great read.
Haven’t found this book in any bookshops to date, so thank you Amazon.

MS D.

Arrived in good condition as described and is a really interesting read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

Arrived in good condition as described and is a really interesting read. I haven't finished it yet and I'm already thinking that I must re-read 'Little Women', 'Little Women Wedded' and the rest of her oeuvre.

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Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography Paperback – November 8, 2011

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It's Louisa May Alcott as you've never seen her before!

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Susan Cheever

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