Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888):

  Selective Annotated Bibliography

Year Research Completed: 1995

This document identifies what I consider to be the best monographic sources of information about a great American writer, Louisa May Alcott.

NOTE:

For books ~BY~ Ms. Alcott, see List of Works.

For ~PERIODICAL~ sources about Ms. Alcott, see Alcott in the News.

I selected the following 28 books from a comprehensive bibliography that I had previously compiled, which contained 95 monographic, biographical works. I personally evaluated approximately 40 items, and I read professional reviews for a handful, as well. The majority of my recommendations (22 out of 28) are based on that research and satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

• facilitates research on Ms. Alcott
  by all ages, but especially by young adults

  demonstrates that there is much more to Ms. Alcott than just Little Women , such as:

  • different genres (e.g. fantasy stories and thrillers)
  • service as a Civil War nurse
  • avid support for numerous social reforms

  compares Ms. Alcott's characters and plots with her life experiences

This bibliography is divided into three sub-lists:

1. ANNOTATED LIST
   • 16 entries
   • complete citations, including a standard number (ISBN or LCCN) & price
   • annotations
   • items evaluated on aforementioned criteria
2. NON-ANNOTATED LIST: Evaluated
   • 6 entries
   • full citations, but no standard number or price
   • items evaluated on aforementioned criteria
3. NON-ANNOTATED LIST: Not Evaluated
   • 6 entries
   • full citations, some with standard number and/or price
   • items by Alcott experts and/or appear in many Alcott bibliographies

Alcott, Louisa May. Alternative Alcott. Ed. Elaine Showalter. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1988. [0-8135-1271-9]: $45.00

Demonstrates like no other source Alcott's breadth and versatility as a writer. Provides a broad and varied sample of her works and a very informative introduction. Includes bibliographical information. For adult readers.

Alcott, Louisa May. From Jo March's Attic: Stories of Intrigue and Suspense. Eds. Madeleine B. Stern and Daniel Shealy. Boston: Northeastern UP, 1993. [1-55553-177-6]: $21.95

Presents and demonstrates the connections between Alcott's feminism and her newly-discovered anonymous and pseudonymous works. Includes bibliography of all known Alcott thrillers. For adult readers.

Beach, Seth Curtis. Daughters of the Puritans: A Group of Brief Biographies. Freeport, New York: Books for Libraries, 1967. [0-8369-0180-0]: $19.00

A collection of seven biographies, of which Alcott's is the last. Demonstrates connections between her life and works. Clear writing despite slightly high-level language used. Contains a photo-portrait. No bibliography or index. For young-adult and older readers.

Chang, Ina. A Separate Battle: Women and The Civil War. New York: Lodestar, 1991. [0-525-67365-2]: $16.00

Biographies and history of females who served in many capacities during the Civil War. Very informative about Alcott's war-time nursing experience. Includes photos (one of her), bibliography, and index. For young adult readers.

Fisher, Aileen, and Olive Rabe. We Alcotts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott's Family as Seen Through the Eyes of "Marmee," Mother of Little Women. Decorations by Ellen Raskin. New York: Atheneum, 1968. [LCCN 68-18445]: est. $18.00 {out of print}

Includes bibliography. Based on journals, letters, etc. of family and friends. Written like a story told by Louisa Alcott's mother, requiring somewhat fictionalized dialogue. Mostly describes the family's life full of daily struggles. Includes some comparisons of the real-life Alcotts to the March family from Little Women. For young adult readers.

Greene, Carol. Louisa May Alcott: Author, Nurse, Suffragette. People of Distinction Series. Chicago: Childrens, 1984. [0-516-03208-9]: $14.40

A standard biography. Written like a novel, but not fictionalized. Features a categorized list of Louisa May Alcott's works and a letter outlining her advice for young writers. Also includes photos, detailed chronology, and index. For older children and young adults.

Johnston, Norma. Louisa May: The World and Works of Louisa May Alcott. New York: Four Winds, 1991. [0-02-747705-3]: $15.95

Very clear and mature writing style. Describes connections between Alcott's life and works. Includes further-reading list, categorized list of her works, photos, and index. For young adult readers.

Keyser, Elizabeth Lennox. Whispers in the Dark: The Fiction of Louisa May Alcott. Knoxville: U of Tennessee P, 1993. [0-87049-809-6]: $32.95

A scholarly exploration of Alcott's feminism through her writing. Gathers and discusses criticism of Louisa May Alcott. Compares and highlights the similarities in her adult and juvenile fiction. Discusses several of Alcott's aspects as a writer. For adult readers and researchers.

McGill, Marcy Ridlon. The Story of Louisa May Alcott, Determined Writer. Illus. Darcy May. New York: Dell, 1988. [0-440-40022-8]: $2.95

A standard biography written in simple language. Story-like in tone, but not fictional in information. Includes diary excerpts, categorized list of works, chronology, and illustrations. For older children and young adults.

Meigs, Cornelia. Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women. Alcott Centennial Edition. Boston: Little, Brown, 1968. [0-31656-590-3]: $17.95

A standard chapter biography. Winner of 1934 Newbery Award when first published. Includes photos, detailed chronology, and index. For young-adult and adult readers.

Myerson, Joel, et al., eds. The Journals of Louisa May Alcott. Boston: Little, Brown, 1989. [0-316-59362-1]: $24.95

Using Alcott's own words, details her daily life. Also covers her participation and belief in various social reform movements of the day, including antislavery, temperance, and women's rights. Includes brief works-cited, detailed chronology, index, and photos galore! Occasional tedious or dull reading. For adult readers.

Myerson, Joel, et al., eds. The Selected Letters of Louisa May Alcott. Boston: Little, Brown, 1987. [0-316-59361-3]: est. $24.95 {out of print}

A collection of annotated letters written by Alcott to various types of people. Provides insight on her thoughts, emotions, and relationships. Also covers her support of social reform movements and her nursing experience in the Civil War. Includes works-cited, detailed chronology, index, and lots of photos. For adult readers.

Ryan, Cary, ed. and comp. Louisa May Alcott: Her Girlhood Diary. Illus. Mark Graham. Mahwah, New Jersey: BridgeWater, 1993. [0-8167-3139-X]: $14.95

Many excerpts from Alcott's childhood (ages 10-13) journals as well as some from Little Women. Presented in picture-book format. Not organized well to be a biography, but a good source of extra information about the author's youth. Includes life chronology, bibliography, and index. For older children and young adults.

Sanborn, Franklin B., and William T. Harris. A. Bronson Alcott: His Life and Philosophy. 2 vols. New York: Biblo and Tannen, 1965. [0-8196-0161-6]: $35.00 (set)

Although mostly about Louisa Alcott's father, covers all the major milestones of her life. Even mentions her brother who died as an infant. Quotes some of her works as well. For adult readers.

Showalter, Elaine. Sister's Choice: Traditions & Change in American Women's Writing. New York: Oxford UP, 1991. [0-19-812383-3]: $25.00

One of eight total chapters is dedicated to Alcott's biography. Explores her emotions, thoughts, relationships, and experiences, especially with respect to her work. Includes bibliographical notes and index. For adult readers.

Ullom, Judith C. Louisa May Alcott: A Centennial for Little Women ; an annotated, selected bibliography. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1969. [LCCN 76-600591]: est. $1.60 {out of print}

An extensively-annotated and well-organized bibliography of works both by and about Louisa May Alcott. Although no biographical information directly provided, indispensable for any research on her! Illustrated. For secondary students and adult researchers.

[Return to Top of Document.]

Alcott, Louisa May. Glimpses of Louisa: A Centennial Sampling of the Best Short Stories by Louisa May Alcott. Ed. and Comp. Cornelia Meigs. Boston: Little, Brown, 1968.

Burke, Kathleen. Louisa May Alcott. American Women of Achievement Series. New York: Chelsea House, 1988.

Ehrlich, Eugene, and Gorton Carruth. The Oxford Illustrated Literary Guide to the United States. New York: Oxford UP, 1982.

McHenry, Robert, ed. Liberty's Women. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam, 1980.

Rood, Karen L., ed. American Literary Almanac: From 1608 to the Present. New York: Facts on File, 1988.

Saxton, Martha. Louisa May: A Modern Biography of Louisa May Alcott. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1977.

[Return to Top of Document.]

II. Not Evaluated or Annotated, but still Recommended:
(Items likely to be good because frequently cited and/or the author/editor is a reputed Alcott expert.)

Alcott, Louisa May. Louisa May Alcott: Her Life, Letters, and Journals. Ed. Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney. Reprint of 1889 ed. n.p., 1991. [0-7812-8009-5]: $89.00

Anthony, K. S. Louisa May Alcott. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood, 1977. [0-8371-9552-7]: $35.00

Benet, Laura. Famous New England Authors. New York: Dodd, 1970. {out of print}

Moses, Belle. Louisa May Alcott, Dreamer and Worker: A Story of Achievement. Philadelphia: R. West, 1973. {out of print}

Peare, Catherine Owens. Louisa May Alcott: Her Life. Illus. Margaret Ayer. New York: Holt, 1954. [LCCN 54-5742] {out of print}

Worthington, Marjorie Muir. Miss Alcott of Concord: A Biography. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1958. [LCCN 58-11330] {out of print}

[Return to Top of Document.]

• Information about Louisa May Alcott or
• Susan L. Tolbert's Library-Science Research or
• Susan Lank Tolbert's home page

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Comments? ... E-mail me your feedback!