I turned to what is probably my favourite book of all time, when the book I was going to review today was so depressingly poor, I couldn't get past the first chapter. I have therefore decided to (re)read and review something of quality - just to remind myself that there are some cracking books out there.
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott follows Little Women and Good Wives and fascinatingly shows us what has happened to Jo, Meg, Amy, Laurie and indeed Plumfield.
In the first two books Louisa demonstrates her ability to write excellent female characters. There are some men in there, but it is mainly about the four girls. In Little Men we are given just as well drawn male characters (orphans, relatives, boarders and a firebrand), along with a feisty young girl called Nan and Jo's niece Daisy (Meg's daughter, along with her son Demi). They all live at Plumfield which is now a school.
Jo is now Mrs Bhaer, married to the professor, and they have a beautiful life in gorgeous countryside with Amy and Meg just down the road. Whenever I open the book I feel snug and secure as I read about the innocent goings on of the children and how Jo is teaching them manners, patience and lots of other life lessons. When everything is getting chaotic around me, Little Men is like the calm bit at the middle of a hurricane.
And I just love this invitation from Daisy and Nan to the boys. To me, this just sums up the whole book.
Mrs Shakespeare Smith would like to have Mr John Brooke, Mr Thomas Bangs, and Mr Nathaniel Blake to come to her ball at three o'clock today.
P.S Nat must bring his fiddle, so we can dance, and all the boys must be good, or they cannot have any of the nice things we have cooked.
Rating: 5/5
Like this? Try Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott (the final one)
