Little Women Read-Along: Laurie Makes Mischief, and Jo Makes Peace (Ch. 21)

Really, you don't have to read this chapter at all -- you can just read the title, and you know what happens.  That naughty Laurie, teasing Meg in such a personal way.  I wish I knew what Marmee said to him, don't you?

And good for Jo, "handling" both Laurie and Mr. Laurence just the right way.  Laurie wants to be allowed to grow up, and Mr. Laurence is afraid of losing him, and Jo somehow manages to placate and reassure both of them.


Possible Discussion Questions:

Any idea what Jo is referring to when she says, "'Prunes and prisms' are my doom, and I may as well make up my mind to it" (p. 190)?

Little Women Read-Along: Confidential (Ch. 20)

Marmee's home!  And busy as can be, dealing with the fallout of her absence and Beth's illness.  

I actually disagree with Marmee's thought that Amy's having a quiet place to think nice thoughts and pray will be more useful than a ring to remind her to not be selfish.  I myself find that a physical reminder of a trait or habit is extremely useful -- I've used various rings and bracelets over the years to remind myself to be peaceful, patient, and courageous.  They've helped me a lot.

But anyway, poor Jo, all distraught at the idea of her home getting broken up.  I have to smile at how melodramatic she gets, but I completely sympathize with her sorrow over the prospect of having their lives change.  I hate change myself, very much.


Favorite Lines:

"...she'll go and fall in love, and there's an end of peace and fun, and cozy times together.  I see it all!  They'll go lovering around the house, and we shall have to dodge" (p. 182).

"I know, by experience, how much genuine happiness can be had in a plain little house, where the daily bread is earned, and some privations give sweetness to the few pleasures (p. 182).


Possible Discussion Questions:

Alcott doesn't describe Marmee's reunion with her daughters, but "leave[s] it to the imagination of [her] readers" (p. 178).  Do you think that's a wise choice, or is it lazy writing?

How do you think change-hating Jo dealt with their father going off to war?

Little Women Read-Along: Amy's Will (Ch. 19)

This is a brighter, more cheerful chapter, eh?  Although Amy is having trouble understanding (and being understood by) Aunt March, overall she has life pretty nice.  Especially compared to the terrible worries and fears Meg and Jo are enduring!  Still, she has her little worries, and draws up her own will in all earnestness.


Favorite Lines:

Some old people keep young at heart in spite of wrinkles and gray hairs, can sympathize with children's littl ecares and joys, make them feel at home, and can hide wise lessons under pleasant plays, giving and receiving friendship in the sweetest way (p. 171).

Possible Discussion Questions:

Have you ever made your own will, either recently or when you were a child?

What might the inclusion of a sympathetic Roman Catholic character, who is a servant and a Frenchwoman, tell us about Alcott's own views on religious differences?

"Corral Nocturne" by Elisabeth Grace Foley

I've discovered a problem with reading books with the Kindle app on my phone:  I forget to review them.  I read this back in February, having enjoyed Elisabeth Grace Foley's previous western stories.  And then I forgot to review it.  Sigh.

It's a retelling of the Cinderella story, set in the west, and it's not very long -- more of a long short story than a novella, I think, but that's a good length for this story.  In it, Ellie Strickland lives on a ranch with her widowed mother and her older brother, Ed.  Ed is ornery and apt to run folks off their property, so Ellie has grown up with few friends and zero prospects for marrying and moving away from her domineering brother and weary mother.

Enter Cole Newcomb, back home after attending college back East.  He takes pity on Ellie when he meets her, and decides to introduce her to folks in the area by escorting her to picnics and so on.  Ellie starts to make friends, and she's thrilled as can be with Cole invites her to attend the big 4th of July shindig in town with him.  She makes a dress with her mother's help, and so on.  There's no fairy godmother here, just a sweet prince of a suitor and a helpful mother.

Of course, things at the 4th of July shindig don't go as planned, and Ellie winds up walking home, until... well, let's just say by the end of that evening, I was utterly besotted with Cole Newcomb myself.  And not just because I kept seeing Armie Hammer playing him.

If you like clean, well-told western stories with a gentle romance, read this!  I've moved on to Foley's latest release, the short story collection Wanderlust Creek and Other Stories, which I'm also reading on my phone -- I'll try to remember to review it right away when I finish it :-D

Particularly Good Bits:

"No man in his right mind would want Ed for a brother," she said aloud to herself, and then added as an afterthought, "and I wouldn't want to marry the other kind."

"Don't worry about that.  I'll fix Ed," said Mrs. Strickland, the determination in her voice making it sound as if she intended to do it with a hammer.

The stars themselves were bits of shattered dreams, fallen around her like glittering shards of glass in the hollow blackness of her world.

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It:  G.  No violence, no cussing, nothing more than a chaste kiss.

Little Women Read-Along: Dark Days (Ch. 18)

Did you have a nice Easter?  We certainly did!  Full of rejoicing about Jesus' triumph over sin, death, and Satan, and also full of friends, family, and yummy food :-9  Don't worry if you're a bit behind here because you were busy with holiday fun -- I am not a lit professor and I will not scold you or dock your grade.

Oh my goodness, these poor girls!  Beth at death's door, and no parents to guide or comfort them.  I'm so pleased with Laurie for sending for Marmee even though Hannah said not to -- after all, he was under no obligation to obey her like Meg and Jo were.  Though as it turns out, Beth gets through the worst of it before Marmee returns.  But still, good for Laurie.

And when Jo learns of his actions, she hugs him, clings to him, and then Laurie... kisses her!  On the cheek, I would assume, but Jo seems rather disconcerted, blaming the wine for making her "fly at" her Teddy.  Foreshadowing of conflict to come, methinks.

Favorite Lines:

How dark the days seemed now, how sad and lonely the house, and how heavy were the hearts of the sisters as they worked and waited, while the shadow of death hovered over the once happy home (p. 164).

A breath of fresh air seemed to blow through the house, and something better than sinshine brightened the quiet rooms (p. 168).

Possible Discussion Questions:

Jo says Beth is her conscience.  What do you think she meant by that?

Little Women Read-Along: Little Faithful (Ch. 17)

I know everyone's busy getting ready for Easter (including me), but I didn't want to fall behind, so I'm posting a chapter today anyway.

Blech.  What a horrible chapter.  Let's get it over with.  Almost everyone gets complacent and lazy, and Beth pays for their behavior with her own time and kindness, and also with her health.

My kids and I battled strep throat over and over last year -- strep turns into scarlet fever if you don't have antibiotics.  My goodness, that bug is no picnic!  Worst sore throat you can imagine.  I couldn't sleep because it hurt so much until I got antibiotics in me.  I feel very, very sorry for Beth here.

The whole scene with Laurie and Amy at Aunt March's amused me, though.  Especially the parrot :-D

Favorite Lines:

For a week the amount of virtue in the old house would have supplied the neighborhood (p. 157).

Possible Discussion Questions:

I actually don't have any today.  Do you?

Little Women Read-Along: Letters (Ch. 16)

Quick before we dig into this chapter, I just wanted to ask if anyone else is interested in writing a guest post for the first half of this book.  Heidi is working on a post about Amy, but we might hold off on posting it until the second half.  But no one has spoken for Jo or Meg or Marmee or Laurie, and they all warrant their own character sketches, I think.  Also, I plan to write a new review of the 1978 TV mini-series version, but if you'd like to contribute a review of another version (1933, 1949, or 1994), that would be awesome too!

Also, I've decided to do two giveaways in conjunction with this read-along, one after Book One, and one after Book Two.  If we stick to the current schedule of one chapter every-other-day, that means the first giveaway will kick off around April 16.  Just so you know!

(My mom had this adaptation when she was a girl,
and it's the first one I can remember reading.)

Now, back to the book.  This chapter opens on a very subdued note, with everyone trying to be brave about Marmee leaving to nurse Father.  And Marmee gives them some excellent advice:  "Don't grieve and fret when I am gone, or think that you can be idle and comfort yourself by being idle and trying to forget.  Go on with your work as usual, for work is a blessed solace" (p. 149-50).  Oh, wise Marmee!

But things don't stay worrisome and melancholy for long.  The girls get word that their father is getting well, and we end the chapter with several delightful letters, not just from the girls, but from Hannah, Laurie, and Mr. Laurence too!  I really enjoyed those letters, and I think they must have been fun for Alcott to write each one from the different characters' perspectives, personalities, etc.

Favorite Lines:

"I think anxiety is very interesting," observed Amy, eating sugar pensively (p. 151).

I'm Jo, and I never shall be anything else (p. 153).

Possible Discussion Questions:

What do you think of the dialect Hannah's letter is written in?  What does it tell you about Hannah that we might not otherwise know from the story?