Have you ever wanted to know more about your favorite classic authors? Each month, we share various facts about the lives and works of our Author of the Month.
During December, we honored Louisa May Alcott as our Author of the Month to tie in with the latest adaptation of #LittleWomen, released last month in theatres. Alcott was born on November 29th 1832 in Pennsylvania and some of the most interesting things we learned about her this month were…
- Louisa May Alcott was the daughter of transcendentalists, abolitionists, and early feminists. While growing up in poverty, the author worked as a seamstress, servant, governess, and anonymous writer in order to help support the family.
- She was neighbours with the Hawthorne’s, the Emerson’s, and Henry David Thoreau.
- Alcott had her breakthrough after publishing ‘Hospital Sketches’ in 1863, working as a nurse for the Civil War. The collection of letters depicted her experiences as a wartime nurse and later several abolitionist interracial romances and war stories.
- Her most notable novel, ‘Little Women’ remains as a popular piece for women’s lives throughout the centuries. Revolving around female characters that aspire to achieve successful careers and loving families, Alcott’s revolutionary novel shows the complications of trying to maintain professional dreams and societal norms.
- Aside from her literary career, Alcott was one of the founders of the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union in Boston. It was March 6, 1888 when Alcott passed away from a stroke at the early age of 55, just two days after her father’s death.
For the month of January, we are exploring the life and work of Anne Brontë. Be sure to follow the #ClassicsInContext hashtag on Twitter and Facebook to learn more!
