Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women

by Cornelia Meigs

Paperback, 1995

Status

Available

Call number

813.4

Genres

Biography & Memoir

Collection

Biography

Publication

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (1995), 256 pages

Description

Presents the life of Louisa May Alcott, who was able through the success of her writings to achieve one thing that was very important to her--to be able to take care of all her family.

User reviews

LibraryThing member tjsjohanna

Written in 1933, this is an idealized look at Louisa May Alcott's life. Her life was an interesting and difficult one, and yet Ms. Meigs makes of Louisa the ideal heroine. Reading this book creates a feeling that the Alcotts were noble, thoughtful, cheerful people who had figured out the secret of

happiness. For a child reader, this book gives ample detail of Louisa's whole life. For an adult, I kept having the feeling that I was reading about someone not quite real.

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LibraryThing member SHARONTHEIL

Invincible Louisa is a biographical drama of Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888). The book focuses mainly on the years from her birth until her work as a volunteer nurse for the Union Army in Washington, D.C. Invincible Louisa is written with the same affected, sentimental, domestic tone of Alcott's

"girl book," Little Women and, as in Little Women, this tone is a gloss that covers the underlying subversive feminist theme. On the surface, Branson Alcott is kindly, gentile, and idealistic. Yet, at the same time, the text shows scene after scene of harrowing oppression, destitution, and poverty that his family suffers under his kindly, gentile, and idealistic domination. Cornelia Meigs obtained inside knowledge of Louisa May Alcott's life through interviews with close family members, and through Alcott’s own journals and correspondence. As a writer I was inspired by how long and hard Ms. Alcott had to work before she found her voice, and her writings found their audience.

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LibraryThing member MrsLee

A great story. Tells the fascinating life of a fascinating author. As compelling and absorbing as any fiction.

LibraryThing member avcr

A flawlessly researched account of Author Louisa May Alcott; her family, friends, joys and sorrows, with daguerreotype pictures ranging from 1862—on, by Wendell McRae. A fascinating exposé about a courageous woman I should have known more about and now do.
Awards: Newbery Medal, 1934

LibraryThing member debnance

I’ve often heard little stories about the Louisa of this book, Louisa May Alcott, but I’ve never read much real information about her. This is a biography of her life. Louisa grew up in a family determined to change the world by actively living their beliefs. She was best known as the author of

Little Women.As interesting to me as Louisa May Alcott was her father. Bronson Alcott was friends with every influential person of his time including Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorn. He barely made enough money to feed his children, yet he felt led to always give what little he had away to help others.Louisa provided the only income the family had for much of her life. She worked doggedly as a writer between stints of work as a governess, a teacher, and a seamstress. What a family!

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LibraryThing member bbellthom

This book is the 1934 Newbery winner. The book is an autobiography of Louisa May Alcott’s life. To me the early Newbery winner books are written for a much younger audience then they are today. This book gives the basic facts of Louisa’s life without a lot of substance. It appears there was a

lot speculation on the part of the author and not so much factual information. I could see where it would appeal to young girls during that time period. 3 stars.

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LibraryThing member k8lovesbooks

[Invincible Louisa] is a very dry and unexciting book. Cornelia Meigs could have described the people better, and included more quotes from Louisa's life. I like how she tells little stories here and there though. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to young readers.

LibraryThing member SueinCyprus

Apparently this biography won a Newbery medal, so perhaps I'm a bit of a philistine.. but I didn't find this particularly engaging. I am very interested in the life of Louisa M Alcott, and did find it interesting to see how it was mirrored, in many ways, by her best-known novel for girls, 'Little

Women'. But although the research was evidently extensive, in a pre-internet era, and her lifeline and circumstances portrayed thoroughly, I found it dry - too full of description and facts, with little to engage my interest.

Perhaps there was too little source material, or perhaps the author simply wanted to outline Alcott's life in this way; evidently it was considered an excellent work by those who award medals. But despite it being a relatively easy read, I found it hard going in places, and difficult to concentrate. I rapidly lost track of all the many locations where the family lived, and most of the family friends, too.

Still, worth perusing for anyone interested in this writer.

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