Loved it!

Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women is a lovingly crafted, meticulously researched biography by Harriett Reisen. I received my copy from a GoodReads First Reads drawing. As a Little Women fan from childhood, I was thrilled to receive the book and was not disappointed. I learned a great deal about Louisa and was surprised to find that much of Little Women was taken from people and experiences in her own life, although highly idealized. My only complaint with this book is that it dwelt on her shiftless father and delusional mother entirely too much. I realize that a backstory is necessary to understanding the personality and motivations of the main character, but, to me, Ms. Reisen went overboard. In the first several chapters, covering Louisa's early years, she is mentioned only briefly, while much is made of her father's grandiose ideals and failed business ventures. Despite this, the book is a must-read for any true Louisa fan. Have your copy of Little Women handy- you'll want to re-read it immediately! ( )

Loved learning about everything Louisa May Alcott wrote. This was a good, thorough review of her life and had much detail about her parents, sisters and the environment that helped cull her talent. ( )

Si todo lo que se dice en este libro es cierto , LM Alcott era mucho más interesante como persona que lo que escribía -

As is true for so many others, Louisa May Alcott and her alter-ego, Jo March, are icons of my childhood.

I already knew quite a bit about Louisa May Alcott but I still found this an informative biography.

Louisa seemed to resemble her counterpart, Jo March, even more than I'd expected. I was also surprised by how many details from the Alcott's real lives found their way into Little Women. Not surprisingly, it seems as if she wrote her life, but as she wished it to be.

I found some of the details from Louisa's mid-life or so a bit surprising. For instance, her romance with the real Laurie.

I find it terribly sad that this woman who as a girl could go into raptures over nature, or who was always the one to lead any kind of fun, who gave so much pleasure to others, and who worked so hard for everyone around her was never able to find her own happiness. She never really was able to enjoy her own success. ( )