Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother

 

Summary (from the publisher): Marmee & Louisa, hailed by NPR as one of the best books of 2012, paints an exquisitely moving and utterly convincing portrait of Louisa May Alcott and her mother, the real Marmee. Award-winning biographer Eve LaPlante mines the Alcotts' intimate diaries and other private papers, some recently discovered in a family attic and others thought to have been destroyed, to revive this remarkable daughter and mother. Abigail May Alcott, long dismissed as a quiet, self-effacing background figure, comes to life as a gifted writer and thinker. A politically active feminist firebrand, she fought for universal civil rights, an end to slavery, and women's suffrage. This gorgeously written story of two extraordinary women is guaranteed to transform our view and deepen our understanding of one of America's most beloved authors.

Review: This dual biography focuses on the quieter parent behind the best selling author. Although Louisa May Alcott's father looms large in many histories because of his vocal public teachings and work, author Eve LaPlante contends that it was actually the deep relationship between Louisa and her mother that helped her daughter flourish as a writer. 

This well researched biography dives into the background of not only Bronson Alcott but also of Louisa's mother, a more background figure who was a gifted writer and thinker. Burdened by a husband who frequently failed to support his family and spent long periods of time living apart from them, it was Abigail May Alcott who was the constant provider for her family and frequently encouraged Louisa to write. In turn, Louisa was extremely devoted to her mother and was motivated to write out of a desire to support her mother who had spent her life and ruined her health supporting her family for years. Further, LaPlante even suggests that it was her mother's childhood that inspired the plot of Little Women. Abigail's childhood was largely composed of a surviving brother and four sisters; "This fundamental May quintet, as described decades later by Abigail to her daughters, would become a model of Little Women's central characters, the four "March" sisters who share their remarkable Marmee with "Laurie," the privileged boy next door" (10). Abigail frequently discussed Louisa's writing with her and even shared her private journals and letters with her daughter for her to study for ideas. 

I have read several other biographies of Louisa May Alcott. Her father does not come across as great in any of them but yet more new details were revealed in LaPlante's biography. At a time when women, particularly mothers, had few avenues to support themselves and their children, Bronson would frequently leave his wife to her own devices. "He justified his withdrawal from the role of provider because of the greater role he saw for himself, as a philosopher" (88). Beyond his shirking of responsibilities, Bronson seemed exceedingly hard on the high spirited Louisa, even going so far as to write in his journal that he wondered if she was "possessed" (135). Many years later, in reviewing his wife's letters and diaries, Bronson was apparently filled with guilt for the way he treated his wife and how difficult he made her life. Unfortunately, his response to this was to destroy much of the least flattering content out of shame. Louisa also destroyed much of her mother's writing to protect her privacy, permanently shutting the door on the vast mind behind the beloved author's closest confidante.

Beyond the well written biography, I loved learning about the author's personal connection to Louisa May Alcott. Author Eve LaPlante's great-great-grandmother Charlotte May was Louisa's first cousin. Charlotte and Louise grew up together; "Charlotte and Louisa, born a few months apart in the winter of 1832-1833, had played games, invented stories, and wandered the woods and hills surrounding their childhood homes" (2). 

Stars: 4

Related Titles: 

• Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father by John Matteson 
• Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women by Harriet Reisen