Most of my information for this author review comes from the book “Invincible Louisa” by Cornelia Meigs. I began reading it for a book review, then realized that it would best be suited to a review of Louisa herself.
Louisa was born in 1832 to parents Abba May and Bronson Alcott. Bronson was a peculiar man; very intellectual, very interested in things of the spirit and religion, but he had a difficult time holding down a job. For a while before he was married, he worked as a traveling peddler, going from house to house all over the countryside selling trinkets or tin. He would often be asked to stay for a while by the owners of the homes, and while there he would read their books, adding to his already generous store of knowledge.
Abba was a spirited girl, full of life and vitality. When she and Bronson met, she recognized in him that he needed someone to take care of him, and she decided that is what she would do.
Moving from home to home as Bronson sought work as a school teacher, they had their first child Anna, and then later Louisa. From the moment Louisa began to show her personality, it was obvious that she was different from Anna. Where Anna would sit quietly and play with dolls, Louisa had to be held upright so she could see what was going on around her. She grew up a tomboy, climbing trees and loving life.
The Alcotts went through a period of time where they studied Transcendentalism, believing that they should live on a higher plane and not weigh themselves down. They lived very simply, not taking anything from animals including wool and eggs, and felt that they were achieving what they desired, but the members of their group fell away and Bronson felt that once again, he had failed.
Living in such extreme poverty, barely subsisting from day to day, Louisa hated watching her mother scramble for every little bit they had. As a teenager, Louisa was an avid writer, and determined that someday she would support her entire family with her pen. She published a few short items but for some reason, the brass ring eluded her.
Her little sister Elizabeth contracted scarlet fever and after a time of recovery, eventually died. This cast a dark shadow over the family and changed Louisa’s life forever.
Join us again tomorrow for part two of this author review.
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Little Women — Louisa May Alcott