Louisa May Alcott

I’m a fan of Henry David Thoreau but I love Louisa May Alcott.  Personally, I like that I can indulge in classic Alcott on a Kindle without having to go to the children’s section in the library.  While in Concord I had to visit where she grew up.

Orchard House is similar to the book in that there is a big garden beside it.  In the book it’s divided into plots for the girls, here it was wild flowers.  She really did have three sisters like in Little Women (she was the Jo-ish one).  But she never married.

 

As a kid reading Alcott, I didn’t realize the philosophy behind the books.  Her parents, and later Louisa, were part of the Transcendentalism movement in the early 1800’s.  The belief was in the inherent goodness of people, independence, and in nature.  She also believed in abolition and was a feminist.  I like her!

She is also buried in the family plot on the Author’s Ridge (Hawthorne and Emerson are also here).  Her grave was surrounded by remembrances including written notes.

 

 I loved today!