Louise May Alcott

Family....here it is. I connect with Louise May Alcott and her family on so many different levels. Dad accompanied me on my dream of experiencing visiting "the home"of their family.

This is called the "Orchard House" and it is situated in Concord, MA. It was remodeled from two buildings built before the Revolutionary War. It was their home from 1858-1877. This is where Little Women was written in 1868. This is where part of the movie was filmed. They also lived prior to this home right down the street.

This is their other home. I don't think it is more than two or three blocks from The Orchard House. They lived here first on this street. We drove by this street hundreds of times in all the years we have lived here. One does need to take the time to stop and explore.

Mr. Alcott said about the Orchard Home "I can have five or ten acres of woodland behind the house, the House is old, but still habitable and with some repairs might do till our means enabled us to make it what we want. All this for 950 dollars."

This was the parlor where friends such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson gathered. In the dining room you can see a staircase. It leads up to one of the girl's bedrooms and they would come down and make a grand entrance and put on theatrical performances downstairs. :)

This is the kitchen. They did have an apple orchard on the property.

Our guide told us that one of the differences between the book and the real life of Louise was that it was her - and not her dad that went to war! :) She went as a nurse.

This was "Marmee's " most frequented place to be sure.

This is May's room. We were also informed that there was no Aunt March that paid for May to go to Europe. Instead it was Louise who sent May to Europe with the money she made from her book. Actually, Louise even went a time or two herself to Europe. We were told that the clothes in the chest were all handmade, even the boots were made by the girls. Since paper was scarce May could not practice drawing as much as she wanted. I don't know if your computer will let you grab a close up, she drew all over the walls, and they are still there. They wouldn't let us take any pictures inside. These are all postcards.

This is the study. Her dad is below.

This is Louise's actual room. They had beautiful home made quilts on all the beds that depicted that time period.

This is where the actual book was written. In those days women were really expected to be woman and raise a family etc. Louise's dad made her a desk to encourage her in her pursuit. One would think it was the brown one - but it was not. It is the white one connected to the wall that he built and where the book was written. :) On the
top shelf of the bookshelves are translations of Little Women. It is translated in thirteen other languages and people come from all over the world to see her home.

Other facts -
Meg did really have the fever and died young.

Louise did not want to get married. Absolutely not! Her publisher made her add that piece :).

Part of the film was filmed in Canada.

Her book made over $200,000 and really helped her family.

I want to read and watch the movie all over again.