It is yet another snow day here in Richmond, which accounts for my above-average reading totals for the year. I was able to happily finish reading book #12 this morning, as I watched my husband clean off his car and head to work in slushy snow. Poor guy.
The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott is a must-read for any fan of LMA (as I have now come to know her through this novel). It is a brilliant re-creation of a short span of time during Alcott's life where there seems to be no recorded history for her. McNees, a fan of LMA, did scores of research and when she found this undocumented time her mind starting spinning and wondering what exactly happened during this time of Louisa's life. The Lost Summer was born.
I will admit that I am more of a Little Women fan than I am a LMA fan. I discovered Little Women in college and I can still remember sitting in my apartment, reading, with my new kitten curled up in my lap, devouring each page as I procrastinated housework and homework. I loved the book and have loved each version of the movie (although the more modern version is perhaps my favorite). So, reading about LMA was a big slow going at first. Honestly, she makes me crazy at times, but she makes the modern me crazy. It's hard for me, a college-educated working mom who is trying desperately to balance home and work, to listen to her complain about how all she wants to do is write and work and how she thinks marriage is a terrible fate for women. But, when I recall that I have the choice and the women of LMA's time did not, I get it. She wanted the choice that I now take for granted. I should really stop complaining about juggling and be grateful for freedom.
So, once I made this realization that this book is as much about history as it is about the life of Alcott, I moved on and began to really appreciate the story. The last 50 pages were my favorite, as the story ends and we see McNees re-create what was once lost. It is my wish for Alcott, that her story transpired exactly as McNees envisioned. What a lovely way to take control of your life, to mend broken fences, and to protect your love from the public.
It's a lovely story. If you love Little Women, or have any interest in Alcott/Feminist Studies, this is a book you should definitely read.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
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