Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women (edition 1995)

This book is the 1934 Newbery winner. The book is an autobiography of Louisa May Alcott’s life. To me the early Newbery winner books are written for a much younger audience then they are today. This book gives the basic facts of Louisa’s life without a lot of substance. It appears there was a lot speculation on the part of the author and not so much factual information. I could see where it would appeal to young girls during that time period. 3 stars. ( )

Unusual for a children's biography in this time period, this book avoids fictional dialog or pervasive speculation. It is well written, spending a good deal of time on the Alcott family dynamic, discussing the friendship with other writers (Emerson, Hawthorne et al.), and exploring relationships that show up in Alcott's books. Whether a child will enjoy it, I'm not sure. I would not make a boy read it! Certainly if a child has read and enjoyed Louisa May Alcott's books, then this biography will have a certain appeal.

I’ve often heard little stories about the Louisa of this book, Louisa May Alcott, but I’ve never read much real information about her. This is a biography of her life. Louisa grew up in a family determined to change the world by actively living their beliefs. She was best known as the author of Little Women.As interesting to me as Louisa May Alcott was her father. Bronson Alcott was friends with every influential person of his time including Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorn. He barely made enough money to feed his children, yet he felt led to always give what little he had away to help others.Louisa provided the only income the family had for much of her life. She worked doggedly as a writer between stints of work as a governess, a teacher, and a seamstress. What a family! ( )

Invincible Louisa is a biographical drama of Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888). The book focuses mainly on the years from her birth until her work as a volunteer nurse for the Union Army in Washington, D.C. Invincible Louisa is written with the same affected, sentimental, domestic tone of Alcott's "girl book," Little Women and, as in Little Women, this tone is a gloss that covers the underlying subversive feminist theme. On the surface, Branson Alcott is kindly, gentile, and idealistic. Yet, at the same time, the text shows scene after scene of harrowing oppression, destitution, and poverty that his family suffers under his kindly, gentile, and idealistic domination. Cornelia Meigs obtained inside knowledge of Louisa May Alcott's life through interviews with close family members, and through Alcott’s own journals and correspondence. As a writer I was inspired by how long and hard Ms. Alcott had to work before she found her voice, and her writings found their audience. ( )

Written in 1933, this is an idealized look at Louisa May Alcott's life. Her life was an interesting and difficult one, and yet Ms. Meigs makes of Louisa the ideal heroine. Reading this book creates a feeling that the Alcotts were noble, thoughtful, cheerful people who had figured out the secret of happiness. For a child reader, this book gives ample detail of Louisa's whole life. For an adult, I kept having the feeling that I was reading about someone not quite real. ( )