Louisa on the Front Lines
Louisa May Alcott in the Civil War
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4.0 • 3 Ratings
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
An eye-opening look at Little Women author Louisa May Alcott's time as a Civil War nurse, and the far-reaching implications her service had on her writing and her activism
Louisa on the Frontlines is the first narrative nonfiction book focusing on the least-known aspect of Louisa May Alcott's career -- her time spent as a nurse during the Civil War. Though her service was brief, the dramatic experience was one that she considered pivotal in helping her write the beloved classic Little Women. It also deeply affected her tenuous relationship with her father, and inspired her commitment to abolitionism. Through it all, she kept a journal and wrote letters to her family and friends. These letters were published in the newspaper, and her subsequent book, Hospital Sketches spotlighted the dire conditions of the military hospitals and the suffering endured by the wounded soldiers she cared for. To this day, her work is considered a pioneering account of military nursing.
Alcott's time as an Army nurse in the Civil War helped her find her authentic voice -- and cemented her foundational belief system. Louisa on the Frontlines reveals the emergence of this prominent feminist and abolitionist -- a woman whose life and work has inspired millions and continues to do so today,
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Seiple (Ghosts in the Fog: The Untold Story of Alaska's WWII Invasion) provides unique insight into Louisa May Alcott's time serving as a nurse during the Civil War, explaining how her experience at the Washington, D.C., Union Hotel Hospital essentially launched her writing career. Seiple sets the scene by chronicling Alcott's home life, both its boons (being raised in a politically and intellectually enlightened environment) and its difficulties (desperate poverty). Alcott ardently wished to be a soldier, but as women were not allowed to serve, she determined that nursing was her "destiny." She arrived at the hospital in 1862 and began work immediately, tending to the wounded and observing surgical operations. Alcott's service at Union Hotel was cut short after she contracted typhoid, and Seiple chronicles her slow and agonizing recovery in detail, along with the period of refreshment and renewal afterward in which she published "Hospital Sketches" (her correspondence from the hospital), and the novels Moods and Little Women. While other biographies may provide a more complete picture of Alcott's life, Seiple's version is laser-focused on this particular period, convincingly making the unique argument that Alcott's difficult trials forged her personality and informed virtually every facet of her work. Lovers of Alcott and fans of Civil War history will be equally pleased.
Customer Reviews
Good Book
Good book coming from someone who doesn't particularly enjoy historical fiction!
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