I learned a lot about Louisa May Alcott. I visited the Orchard House last summer, and this is a good companion to the museum tour. What mattered most to Alcott was her family, and it was so beautiful how she financially made them secure. She lived a rich life with just that love. Unfortunately she later suffered from premature loss of family members, and her own heath dismissed to soon.

The best thing about these is that Alcott went back later in her life and wrote in comments about old entries. The best, wonderful example: At 11, Alcott writes: ""I was cross to-day and I cried when I went to bed. I made good resolutions, and felt better in my heart. If I only kept all I made, I should be the best girl in the world. But I don't, and so am very bad." The later addition: "Poor little sinner! -- She says the same at fifty." The journals are a great look into a remarkably creative but sad life, burdened by hard work and sorrow. They are extensively footnoted as well. In my ideal world the journals would be accompanied by letters written around the same period, but you can't have everything.

Some parts were very interesting or touching. Overall it was a sad read as she had so much hardship, worked terribly hard, and suffered decades of severe bad health. It is incredible to see how quickly she wrote during her periods of peak activity. There were moments of tender insight into her personal life such as when she writes about how she and her older sister Anna are very close despite being very different people with different temperaments, etc. Reading of the deaths of Beth and her mother were hard. Alcott's responsibility for caring for her family was very clear in this collection, as was her lack of adjustment to her wealth after Little Women. She definitely still had a depression mentality after she was well-to-do, partly because she was the sole breadwinner for the family.

I found the introduction full of poor interpretation, partly because I've read "Marmee & Louisa." The only part of the introduction I found useful was the explanation of her first biographer Cheney and how her choices affected the textual record and our understanding of Alcott.

Insightful into the life of Louisa May Alcott and heartbreaking as well.

Towards the end of Louisa's life the journal becomes very tedious so I decided to leave it alone. I may come back to it at another time, but I had other books I really wanted to read. However, as a woman I am a big fan of LMA and Little Women is one of my favorite books

If you want a glimpse of the real Louisa, no Victorian romantic, read about her life in her own words.

I probably should have taken more time between reading L.M. Montgomery's journals and picking up another book of journals to read - LMM spoiled me with hers, I think! LMA's were fairly interesting, but pretty bare bones, listing her activities, in not a lot of detail, and keeping a record of her work and financial affairs. A worthwhile read, just not super gripping...