The Other Alcott

​Summary (from Amazon):

We all know the story of the March sisters, heroines of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. But while everyone cheers on Jo March, based on Louisa herself, Amy March is often the least favorite sister. Now, it’s time to learn the truth about the real “Amy”, Louisa’s sister, May.

Stylish, outgoing, creative, May Alcott grows up longing to experience the wide world beyond Concord, Massachusetts. While her sister Louisa crafts stories, May herself is a talented and dedicated artist, taking lessons in Boston, turning down a marriage proposal from a well-off suitor, and facing scorn for entering what is very much a man’s profession.

Life for the Alcott family has never been easy, so when Louisa’s Little Women is published, its success eases the financial burdens they’d faced for so many years. Everyone agrees the novel is charming, but May is struck to the core by the portrayal of selfish, spoiled “Amy March.” Is this what her beloved sister really thinks of her?

So May embarks on a quest to discover her own true identity, as an artist and a woman. From Boston to Rome, London, and Paris, this brave, talented, and determined woman forges an amazing life of her own, making her so much more than merely “The Other Alcott.”

 

My Thoughts:

I felt like I got a peek at what it might have been like to be in the shadow of the indomitable Louisa May Alcott.  How conflicted May had to have been.  Can you imagine?  As “the other Alcott”, you know there had to be a ridiculous amount of emotions all smashed up together–pride and jealousy, ambition and fear of rejection.  Add to that being viewed by the world as a character foil for Amy March – everyone already assuming they know everything there is to know about you.

This book does a fantastic job of imagining how that might have all played out for May Alcott.  You are witness to May’s struggle with her own reliance and her family’s dependence on both Louisa’s finances and her reputation.  You watch as she tries to figure out who she really is and what she really wants.  Your heart breaks for her as she fights to pursue her art in a world dominated and defined by men.  You see her wilt when her art is flippantly dismissed, or she’s referred to as ‘the other’ Alcott sister, and then you cheer her on when she dusts herself off and goes back to try again.  I loved every bit of it.

As a lifetime fan of Little Women, reading The Other Alcott was a little bit like running into a childhood buddy – the familiarity immediately brings a sense of easy comfort and happiness, and then you have the joy of learning everything that has grown and changed them since you last saw each other.  It was an absolutely lovely experience. 

Make sure you read through all the good stuff in the Afterword – I loved this section just as much as I did the rest of the novel.  Elise takes you through what motivated her to write The Other Alcott, and also walks you through a bit of her research, connecting some of the real historical moments of May Alcott’s lifetime with the story.

 

How It All Stacked Up:

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Elise Hooper is on point with this novel, you guys.  Her stylistic approach, the amount of research it’s obvious she put into this book, and the story itself come together to make this the sweetest of reunions for anyone who loves historical fiction, but especially for fans of Little Women.