The Little Women Treasury
by Carolyn Strom Collins, Christina Wyss Eriksson
160 pages // published in 1996 // Non-fiction
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Combining a short biography of Louisa May Alcott with a portrait of the era in which Little Women and its sequels are set, The Little Women Treasury provides a fascinating window into the lives of the beloved March family. Archival illustrations of Alcott's house from the first editions of Little Women and beautiful watercolor paintings created especially for this volume make this book an enchanting gift. Includes 2 maps.
Combining a short biography of Louisa May Alcott with a portrait of the era in which Little Women and its sequels are set, The Little Women Treasury provides a fascinating window into the lives of the beloved March family. Archival illustrations of Alcott's house from the first editions of Little Women and beautiful watercolor paintings created especially for this volume make this book an enchanting gift. Includes 2 maps.
A beautiful book. Every lover of Little Women should have THIS treasury in their house.
Many activities (crafts, gardening, cooking, sewing, etc.) are mentioned and illustrated. Along the way, you are reminded about the personality quirks of each March sister (or her real-life counterpart)... and then you end up learning new facts you didn't know before.
There's a whole chapter of delightful dishes to try from the Little Women era. It includes a recipe of Amy's pickled limes... which we are all supposed to be envious of, I believe. The recipe for French bonbons looks like a tasty treat I could see myself making for friends, family... and especially for myself. I love that some of the recipes actually came straight from the Alcotts, even written down by their own hands, preserved through time just for us. You can make and enjoy the very same thing that Louisa may Alcott ate or drank -- a terribly exciting notion.
One of the other big chapters that stands out to me is the timeline of events, spanning several years. It shows you what the Alcott family was doing that year, what was happening to the fictional Marches at the same time, in addition to notable events in American and world history. This timeline itself is masterfully and tastefully done. I'm so impressed by this feature alone.
Overall? This book is just perfect. It is quite a wonderful experience! Give it to any reader who enjoyed Little Women, and they'll love this one too.
P.S. Like and vote for this review on Goodreads.
I agree, this is a true treasure for Alcott fans. That timeline really helped put the books' events into perspective. And I love having some of the Alcott family recipes on hand.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds delightful - happy to hear you enjoyed it! I'm off to add it to my TBR and book wishlist. :)
ReplyDelete