Louisa May Alcott was a 19th century American novelist. Her novels Little Women and Jo's Boys are her best-known works. Alcott became a strong feminist and abolitionist. In 1862-63 she worked as a nurse in the Union Hospital in Georgetown D C. Shawl-Straps is the second book in the series Aunt Jo's Scrap Bag. Shawl-Straps is in a way a travel book but without the boring parts. There are no population figures or tips for the traveler. Alcott reminisces about a trip she took with her friends to Brittany, France, Switzerland, and London.