January 2025 read-along pick: Little Men and Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott

Because I'm in the throws of an Alcott binge

The snow has arrived. The hot chocolate is plentiful. And my literary indulgence continues to be Louisa May Alcott.

I realize that in continuing to read “old soul books” by the same author I risk losing interest in my readers, but I really don’t know how to carry on in this little corner of the internet any other way. To pick something outside of the confines of the current rabbit hole I’ve stumbled into would feel…forced. Inauthentic.

Besides, I need to know how Jo gets on.

As I type this I am nearly halfway through Little Men, which leads me to believe that reading both sequels won’t be entirely out of the question for the (somewhat harrowing) winter days of January that lie ahead. I’ve got a beautiful pair of 1950 editions and they are practically pleading for me to read them.

So far, I am more touched by the story of Little Men than I ever expected to be. The formidable Aunt March’s Plumfield is now a lively “odd school” for boys, skillfully owned and operated by our very own Jo and her beloved professor. We follow the happenings of more than a dozen or so boys, with a particular focus on a handful of them. “Mother Bhaer” and ‘‘Father Bhaer” affectionally run the boarding school in a bit of an unconventional manner, but we very quickly get the sense that they are focused on developing well-rounded and well-mannered little men that they can call family forever.

Meg’s dear Demi and Daisy—along with Jo’s own two boys—join in on the daily antics, and it is Uncle Laurie who often finds and sends the boys to the school. I quickly and greatly cared for the newcomer, Nat, whom we are introduced to in Chapter 1.

“Dear Jo,

Here is a case after your own heart. This poor lad is an orphan now, sick and friendless. He has been a street-musician; and I found him in a cellar, mourning for his dead father, and his lost violin. I think there is something in him, and have a fancy that between us we may give this little man a lift. You cure his overtasked body, Fritz help his neglected mind, and when he is ready I’ll see if he is a genius or only a boy with a talent which may earn his bread for him. Give him a trial, for the sake of your own boy,

Teddy”

- Louisa May Alcott, Little Men

This little book is deeply focused on the character and gratitude we can cultivate in the midst of life’s tragedies, mishaps, and inconsistencies—and what sort of grit and grace it takes to get us there.

I have no doubt that I’ll learn to love this pair of novels just as much as I love the masterpiece of Little Women. So if you have ever been curious to see what the spacious estate of Plumfield would look and sound like with a dozen spirited boys running about and sliding down the grand-stair banister, I invite you to brew something warm and join me.

You can access both Little Men and Jo’s Boys for free via Project Gutenberg.

Happy, happy reading!