I was a kid whose parents were older when I was born, and whose sisters were quite a bit older than I was. There were few if any "children's books" in our house, and as a result, I have either never read most of the children's classics, or I have read them later, as an adult.
But the year that I was in the second grade, I received the book above for Christmas, from my parents. It was so thick, which seemed promising, since I was already longing for books that lasted longer. And the cover was so intriguing - who were those people? What had they done to deserve such a lovely-looking book?
And then I read it. And LOVED it. And found out that girls could be the heroes of their own lives, even as adults. I learned that death happens, and people move on. I learned that liking to read and write was OK. I learned that every book doesn't have the ending I want it to have. And I learned that you could read a book and then want to find out about the author as well.
We moved around a lot, and often I barely knew the kids in my class before we moved again. But I had made fast friends with Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. They didn't need outside friends to have a happy, fun life. They had different personalities, but it was OK.
Was I disappointed when Jo ended up with Professor Bhaer? Well, yeah. But it was another case of having a story be told in a different way than I was used to reading it.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott really opened my eyes to so many things, And when a book like that finds you in the second grade, the rest of your life can only be full of other such wonderful reading possibilities.
10 comments:
I think this is one of the most wonderful posts I've read about reading in childhood. I'm amazed at all you learned from Little Women and have to admit I'm still learning some of those book lessons. Thank you for sharing your eloquent thoughts and I hope there are many more wonderful reading possibilities ahead for you.
I don't remember this book as a child, except for 2 librarians really trying to push it on me and well ... I was a contrary child. I feel like I read it eventually...
But I remember performing, practicing scenes from the play when I was in Jr. High School and really liking the dynamics between the sisters.
So fine. The librarians win again. I know what I need to do.
I have not read Little Women. It sounds like I SHOULD!
I was very lucky as a kid. My dad would go to his warehouse each evening to load his truck for his next day's work. The library was right around the corner. I may not have owned many of my own books, but I sure didn't lack for reading.
My favorite was a book about eohippus (a prehistoric horse). I must have read that book 20 times! LOL
The Professor thing always bothered me too. Jo was such a free spirit that I wondered why she even needed a man in her life. Of course I was about 12 when I read it.
Excellent choice! I was given my grandmother's copy of Little Women as a child. She told me that when she was a girl, she would sit at the kitchen table reading it and cried and cried at the sad bits, while all her younger brothers and sisters laughed at her for being so soppy (she was the eldest of 8). Little Women holds a special place in my heart because it will forever be a connection to my lovely, sweet, romantic grandmother!
I remember reading that for the first time and I wished I lived in the middle of nowhere! It's amazing how books form us and make us who we are :)
Oh, YES! That was the exact same cover of my beloved copy of Little Women!!! I, too, adored that book as a child -- but I don't think I read it until 4th grade or so. I have re-read it a couple of times since - including aloud to my own daughter when she was a little girl. A GREAT book! XO
Great post Bridget. Like Dee, I have never read Little Women! I can't believe it (nor Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights and others too). I have always read a ton (I'm the one who would take out as many books as the library would allow), just not those. I may need to look into these this summer.
Beautifully written post! And, bravo to those amazing Little Women!
Isn't it amazing how much books resonate with us?
Post a Comment