Awards
2008 Pulitzer Prize for Biography
Synopses & Reviews
The beloved author of
Little Women was torn between pleasing her idealistic father and planting her feet in the material world.
Louisa May Alcott's name is known universally. Yet, during her youth, the famous Alcott was her father, Bronson an eminent teacher, lecturer, and admired friend of Emerson and Thoreau. Willful and exuberant, Louisa flew in the face of all her father's intricate theories of child rearing. She, in turn, could not understand the frugal life Bronson preached, one that reached its epitome in the failed utopian community of Fruitlands. In a family that insisted on self-denial and spiritual striving, Louisa dreamed of wealth and fame. At the same time, like most daughters, she wanted her father's approval. As her father struggled to recover from a breakdown and slowly resurrect his career, Louisa learned to support her family, teaching if she must, but finally finding her vocation in writing.
This story of their tense yet loving relationship adds dimensions to Louisa's life, her work, and the relationships of fathers and daughters.
Review
"Matteson's lucid, commanding biography casts new light on an unusual father-daughter bond and a new land at war with itself." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"[Matteson] allows readers to glimpse both the minds of these two literary figures and the times in which they lived....Highly recommended." Library Journal
Review
"Matteson capably describes Louisa's feverish devotion to her family and to her writing....Carefully researched and sensitively written." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
"[T]his book should have appeal beyond academia. Bronson Alcott and Louisa May Alcott may be larger-than-life personas in the history of American letters, but this engaging dual biography points out how thoroughly human they were." Seattle Times
Review
"In producing such a rounded, detailed and compelling portrait of Louisa, Bronson, their family and their times, Matteson has provided us with a valuable context for appreciating that enduring masterpiece Little Women." Los Angeles Times
Review
"None of the Alcotts had an easy life and reading about them can feel exhausting, particularly when it comes to the longsuffering Abba. But particularly for those unfamiliar with the Alcott story, this is a journey of much interest." Christian Science Monitor
Synopsis
"An amazing story [told] with clarity and intelligence ... colorful and insightful."'"Martin Rubin, Los Angeles Times
Synopsis
The beloved author of was torn between pleasing her idealistic father and planting her feet in the material world.
Synopsis
Louisa May Alcott's name is known universally. Yet, during her youth, the famous Alcott was her father, Bronson--an eminent teacher, lecturer, and admired friend of Emerson and Thoreau. Willful and exuberant, Louisa flew in the face of all her father's intricate theories of child rearing. She, in turn, could not understand the frugal life Bronson preached, one that reached its epitome in the failed utopian community of Fruitlands. In a family that insisted on self-denial and spiritual striving, Louisa dreamed of wealth and fame. At the same time, like most daughters, she wanted her father's approval. As her father struggled to recover from a breakdown and slowly resurrect his career, Louisa learned to support her family, teaching if she must, but finally finding her vocation in writing. This story of their tense yet loving relationship adds dimensions to Louisa's life, her work, and the relationships of fathers and daughters.
About the Author
John Matteson was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Biography for Eden's Outcasts and is also the author of The Lives of Margaret Fuller, which received the Ann M. Sperber Prize for Best Biography of a Journalist. He has been a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society and of the Leon Levy Center for Biography. He received the Distinguished Faculty Award of the John Jay College Alumni Association and the Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement from the Columbia University School of Arts and Sciences. Distinguished Professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, he lives in the Bronx.