THE LOST SUMMER OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT by Kelly O'Connor McNees
Publisher Amy Einhorn Books, April 1, 2010 Few novels play a more
prominent role in American girlhood than
Little Women. Since it was first
published in 1868, millions of girls have
cheered on the spunky Jo March as she proved
girls could be tough, funny, and as smart as
any boy.
But Little Women fans have always
been puzzled by the novel's conclusion. Why
won't Jo marry Teddy Laurence—"Laurie"—the
charming neighbor who confesses he's loved
her all her life? God knows Louisa got
enough letters from fans begging her to let
them end up together. Could it be that
Louisa knew more of heartbreak than her
biographers believe and hoped to spare poor
Jo the same?
Readers will find an answer in THE LOST
SUMMER OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT, a wonderful
debut novel by Kelly O’Connor McNees. In the
summer of 1855, poverty forced the Alcott
family to move to Walpole, New Hampshire.
Here mercurial, clever Louisa meets the
winsome but fictional Joseph Singer, who is
immediately smitten with her. She can sense
a threat to her dreams of becoming a writer
and resists his affections. But when Louisa
discovers he shares her interest in the
controversial Leaves of Grass, just released
on the Fourth of July, her longing for a
kindred spirit quells her hesitation. Just
as Louisa begins to open her heart, she
learns that Joseph may not be free to give
his away. Their newfound love carries a
steep price, and Louisa fears she may pay
with the independence she has fought so hard
to protect.
Historical retellings like The Other
Boleyn Girl, Loving Frank, Wintering,
and Mr. Emerson's Wife have
demonstrated readers' abiding interest in
imagining the real lives of historical
figures. 
“I have read Little Women at least a dozen times but Kelly O’Connor
McNees has given me a gift I will not soon forget. Louisa May Alcott is no
longer simply an icon to me but a real woman, all her complexity, one who
lived life in spite of exploitation and the expectations of her day, never
giving up on her dream. Her story is as relevant today as when Alcott
bravely made her way. I can't wait to give copies of this novel to all of my
friends.”
-- Cassandra King, author of The Sunday Wife and The Same
Sweet Girls
“A superb, thoughtful, and deliciously paced book that will hook lovers of
history and Alcott alike. I enjoyed it tremendously.”
-- Terry Gamble, author of The Water Dancers and Good
Family
“Mixing fact drawn from Little Women author Louisa May Alcott’s letters and
journals with a longing to understand how Alcott—who is thought never to
have been in love—could have written so movingly about it, Kelly O’Connor
McNees delivers a wonderfully imagined, lively novel of first love herself.
Louisa emerges as a spunky, honest heroine torn between her own personal
love affair and the need to create more enduring stories that might console
readers and lovers for generations to come.”
-- Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters
"Richly imagined and gracefully told, McNees’ captivating story will delight
anyone who loved Alcott’s feisty heroine Jo March."
-- Judith Ryan Hendricks, author of The Laws of Harmony and
Bread Alone
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