Little Woman in Blue: A Novel of May Alcott

by Jeannine Atkins

Overview

May Alcott spends her days sewing blue shirts for Union soldiers, but she dreams of painting a masterpiece—which many say is impossible for a woman—and of finding love, too. When she reads her sister’s wildly popular novel, Little Women, she is stung by Louisa’s portrayal of her as “Amy,” the youngest of four sisters who trades her desire to succeed as an artist for the joys of hearth and home. Determined to prove her talent, May makes plans to move far from Massachusetts and make a life for herself with room for both watercolors and a wedding dress. Can she succeed? And if she does, what price will she have to pay? Based on May Alcott’s letters and diaries, as well as memoirs written by her neighbors, Little Woman in Blue puts May at the center of the story she might have told about sisterhood and rivalry in an extraordinary family.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631529887
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	09/15/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Jeannine Atkins is the author of books for young readers featuring women in history, including Borrowed Names: Poems about Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C. J. Walker, Marie Curie and their Daughters. She is an adjunct professor at Simmons College and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She welcomes readers to visit her online at www.jeannineatkins.com.

Editorial Reviews

Little Woman in Blue is an inspiring and engaging fictional portrait of the artist May Alcott, written with knowledge, sensitivity, and beauty. It is wonderful to see May Alcott gain the center of her own story, and inhabit it with such generosity and grace.”
—Harriet Scott Chessman, author of Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper

“At last, a book about the other artistic Alcott sister. May Alcott, dismissed in Little Women as the pampered youngest March sister Amy, explodes onto the pages of this wonderful novel as a real and hugely likeable woman, passionate about life, art, and adventure, and struggling to make sense of her relationship with an older sister who will never appreciate her for who she really is. Thank you, Jeannine, for giving Amy March a voice of her own!”
—Gabrielle Donnelly, author of The Little Women Letters

“I don't know which I admired more: the author's masterful and affectionate resurrection of 19th-century Concord or her imaginative and insightful portrait of the sisterly relationship at the heart of this delightful novel.”
—George Howe Colt, author of The Big House, a National Book Award Finalist

“Devotees of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women will be intrigued by this fictionalized biography of the women behind the characters.”
—Library Journal

“Thoughtful readers will appreciate the depictions of the sisters’ passion for their art and the challenges that 19th-century American women faced when they worked for a living.”
—The Historical Novels Review

“Atkins delivers a marvelous reimagining of the very human story behind one of America’s most beloved novels. Little Woman in Blue is the Little Woman I have always wanted.”
—Erika Robuck, author of The House of Hawthorne and Hemingway's Girl

“Atkins has brought to life the person, places, and time of May Alcott, but in doing so, she has drawn attention to the fact that May Alcott might well be “Everywoman,” no matter in which era she lives,where she chooses to live, or what craft she strives to perfect.”
—Story Circle Book Reviews

“Little Woman in Blue is a fast-paced, compelling story of two sisters, and their unquenchable drive for success.”
—Foreword Review

From the Publisher

09/01/2015
If readers think about May Alcott Nieriker(1840–79) at all, they probably assume her life mirrored that of Amy March, the fictional character created by her older sister Louisa. In reality, May pursued her commitment to art, exhibited paintings in Paris, and married in her late 30s. At the heart of YA author Atkins's first novel for adults are two conflicts. One is internal as May wrestles with her desires for both artistic achievement and a family of her own. The other is an external rivalry with Louisa, who consistently underestimates May's talents and ambition and finds little happiness in her own success and fame. Yet, Louisa ultimately makes it possible for May to travel and study in Europe, where she encounters women such as Mary Cassatt, who edge into the male-dominated art world. Atkins excels in depicting the town of Concord, MA, and its famous residents. Louisa comes across as cold, self-centered, and unsympathetic, while May demonstrates self-sacrifice, charm, and concern for others. Despite her achievements, she never stops seeking her older sister's approval. VERDICT Devotees of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women will be intrigued by this fictionalized biography of the women behind the characters. Those unfamiliar with the novel or the Alcotts may be less enthusiastic.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Mankato

Library Journal