Ages: 12 and Up
Grades: Grades 6 and Up
Pages: 256
ISBN-13 : 978-1452133577
The Revelation of Louisa May
Alcott. Little Women. Murder.
Louisa May Alcott can hardly believe her ears—her mother is leaving for the summer to earn money for the family and her father won't do anything to stop her. How is Louisa to find the time to write her stories if she has to add taking care of her father and sister to her list of chores? And why can't she escape the boredom of her small town to have an adventure of her own? Little does Louisa know just how interesting her small world is about to become. Before long she is juggling her stubborn father, a fugitive slave who is seeking safety along the Underground Railroad, and possibly even love where she least expects it. Add the mysterious murder of a slave catcher to the mix, and Louisa has her hands full.
Reviews:
A Junior Library Guild selection
A Grateful American Book Prize Honorable Mention
"Reads like a contemporary young adult novel that will draw in a whole new audience."
School Library Connection, starred review
“A page-turner that satisfies.” School Library Journal
"A satisfying, thought-provoking read." Publishers Weekly
"A tantalizing glimpse of the real Louisa May Alcott's life." Kirkus Reviews
Where better to talk about Louisa May Alcott than the Concord Bookshop?
Excerpt:
From the corner of her eye, Louisa caught a glimpse of movement in the shrubs by the front windows. She retreated to her door and reached for the stout walking stick she kept there.
“Who’s there?” she called, forcing a quaver down.
A cracking noise of a foot on a twig, then a deliberate silence.
“I said, who is there?” Holding the walking stick up in front of her face, she stepped forward and peered around the corner. Next to the parlor’s big bay window there was a dark figure, barely visible against the olive color of the house. Suddenly the figure blinked, revealing the frightened white of his eyes. She realized that his darkness was not the cover of night but the color of his skin.
“What’s your business here?” she asked, her voice stern.
“Excuse me, Miss.” The man’s voice was deep and hesitant. “Are you the Stationmaster?”
Louisa sighed. Exactly what the Alcott family needed right now. Another fugitive slave.
The Revelation of Louisa May