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oldfashionedgirl's review
5.0
I got this book for Christmas and started it immediately! I love all of Louisa May Alcotts books so much so I wanted a biography. It was really well written and now I’m moving on to reading books by Louisa May Alcott friends Henry David Thorough and others. I’ve read every Louisa May Alcott book in the library so I’m moving on to Walden (By Henry David Thorough)
themoonphoenix's review against another edition
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
I love Little Women and I know that the author was inspired by her childhood, so I had been looking for a biography about her for a long time.
Louisa May Alcott grew up in an unconventional family, her father was a teacher and writer with modern ideas, interested in analyzing children's behavior and in social causes. Louisa and her sisters grew up surrounded by books, they were encouraged to play and be curious, but they were poor, which made her work in different fields since she was a child, although her passion has always been writing; she started with poems, short stories, thrillers and dramas for magazines and novels with social criticism but under a pseudonym.
This biography covers her childhood until the publication of Little Women when she was 35 years old, although right now that is her best-known work, at her time, she was already a public figure. I did notice a lot of the author's personality in Jo and would love to read more of the author's stories.
I liked the domestic aspect. There is a lot of focus on her family, which shows that it is an important part of the author and that she was close to her parents and sisters, also the artistic environment with revolutionary ideas influenced her as a person.
The writing style is perfect for young adults or people just getting started with biographies, is a quick read, is easy to follow, and looks well documented.
Read it if:
You like Little Women
Want to read about an amazing woman
Enjoy biographies
Louisa May Alcott grew up in an unconventional family, her father was a teacher and writer with modern ideas, interested in analyzing children's behavior and in social causes. Louisa and her sisters grew up surrounded by books, they were encouraged to play and be curious, but they were poor, which made her work in different fields since she was a child, although her passion has always been writing; she started with poems, short stories, thrillers and dramas for magazines and novels with social criticism but under a pseudonym.
This biography covers her childhood until the publication of Little Women when she was 35 years old, although right now that is her best-known work, at her time, she was already a public figure. I did notice a lot of the author's personality in Jo and would love to read more of the author's stories.
I liked the domestic aspect. There is a lot of focus on her family, which shows that it is an important part of the author and that she was close to her parents and sisters, also the artistic environment with revolutionary ideas influenced her as a person.
The writing style is perfect for young adults or people just getting started with biographies, is a quick read, is easy to follow, and looks well documented.
Read it if:
You like Little Women
Want to read about an amazing woman
Enjoy biographies
maidmarianlib's review
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
A lovely biography, focus more on childhood and early life before Little Women.
elleisntabell's review against another edition
DNFed at page 116
Nothing wrong with it, just wasn't what I was expecting. The writing is about 50% quotes from various journals and letters that the family (and others) wrote. It's not something I'm interested in.
Nothing wrong with it, just wasn't what I was expecting. The writing is about 50% quotes from various journals and letters that the family (and others) wrote. It's not something I'm interested in.
popthebutterfly's review
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Hopeful Heart: Louisa May Alcott Before Little Women
Author: Deborah Noyes
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: biography, little women
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: Biography
Recommended Age: 15+ (sexism mentioned)
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. How did these cherished characters come to be? Louisa May Alcott, the author of one of the most famous "girl" books of all time, was anything but a well-mannered young lady. A tomboy as well as a ravenous reader, Louisa took comfort in fictional characters that were as passionate and willful as she was--and whose wild imaginations were a match for her own. She was often found roaming the woods near her home in Concord, Massachusetts, or exploring the natural world in the company of the great Transcendentalist thinkers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Here is a beautiful portrait of Louisa May Alcott, a woman influenced by her father, a penniless philosopher, her mother, with whom she shared a great connection, and, of course, her three sisters. Featuring unique indigo illustrations, Deborah Noyes unveils how Louisa's natural spirit, loving family, and unconventional circumstances inspired the timeless masterpiece that is Little Women.
Review: For the most part this was a great biography novel. The book goes into Alcott's life before Little Women and I thought the story telling was compelling. I can see a lot of what I imagine Jo to be from Little Women and I'm even more excited to read Little Women one day. If you're into women who helped pioneer for women's rights today then this is the book for you.
Verdict: A great book on a great author.
Book: A Hopeful Heart: Louisa May Alcott Before Little Women
Author: Deborah Noyes
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: biography, little women
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: Biography
Recommended Age: 15+ (sexism mentioned)
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. How did these cherished characters come to be? Louisa May Alcott, the author of one of the most famous "girl" books of all time, was anything but a well-mannered young lady. A tomboy as well as a ravenous reader, Louisa took comfort in fictional characters that were as passionate and willful as she was--and whose wild imaginations were a match for her own. She was often found roaming the woods near her home in Concord, Massachusetts, or exploring the natural world in the company of the great Transcendentalist thinkers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Here is a beautiful portrait of Louisa May Alcott, a woman influenced by her father, a penniless philosopher, her mother, with whom she shared a great connection, and, of course, her three sisters. Featuring unique indigo illustrations, Deborah Noyes unveils how Louisa's natural spirit, loving family, and unconventional circumstances inspired the timeless masterpiece that is Little Women.
Review: For the most part this was a great biography novel. The book goes into Alcott's life before Little Women and I thought the story telling was compelling. I can see a lot of what I imagine Jo to be from Little Women and I'm even more excited to read Little Women one day. If you're into women who helped pioneer for women's rights today then this is the book for you.
Verdict: A great book on a great author.
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