Little Men & Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott

When I requested at Wordsworth Editions Little Men & Jo's Boys

by Louisa May Alcott  there were various reasons but, the most important: I had still to read these books. When little I read Little Women published by Mursia an italian publishing house. I remember I loved that book so badly and read and re-read it a lot of times.

Then I asked also for the other three but it was a great delusion because they were partially cut here and there and although little I had clear ideas: it was an insult to the intelligence of a person not proposing an unabridged version of the books.

Said that, I simply put them aside and forgot them.

You see: this world is chaotic, for using a nice expression and sometimes we forget how we can be happy and how we can make other people happy.

When you will open this book, you will enter in another dimension where reality is harmonic, people are adorable.

To my point of view, it will be possible for you to forget the stresses you are living with as well rebalancing your existence.

Mrs.Alcott is simply enchanting and her writings, her world adorably beauty and healthy. You can't stop to loving her and how she represents the reality. A reality made by love and built with love.

In a world where children are abused, not taking in consideration or killed, Alcott give us back a reality of normality, of gentle, kindred spirits in love for the potentialities of every single kid, with the desire of helping them to come out, and to become good, decent people thanks to the talents that they have. Not only: mrs Jo March and her husband want to be the difference and to make the difference in the existences of this group of children less lucky than their contemporaries are.

Mrs March in fact with her husband and with the blessing of Mr. Laurence opened a boarding school called Plumfield in Little Men.

In this special place, children, mainly homeless but they could have been abandoned or with heavy familiar situations,  found a new beautiful dimension than the one experienced before and they could call this school but also the owners of this school: home.

The first book starts with the arrival of Nat recommended by Lawrence. The kid was homeless and for a living played with great virtuosism his violin. Pretty soon Nat discovers an universe made by passionate children for reading, for sorting out little or big domestic problems. You will discover a crowded world where harmony, beauty, books, good values, art in general, simple life associated at creativity and productivity as synonime of love and donation are the normality and where people live in a connection of friendship and solidariety.

Of course there are little or big problems but they're sorted out with great intelligence and efficiency.

The second book will also take in consideration the various children that studied in the school, for seeing what happened to them but also the destinies of Mrs. Meg, Mrs. Jo and Mrs.Amy's children as well.

Jo's Boys is the last of the fourth books dedicated at the sisters March.

They're not just positive books, but balms for the soul and they let us see what it means growing up in a happy family; what it meant for mrs and mr March educating with altruism and benevolence their four beautiful little women: Meg, Jo, Beth (disappeared in the first book) and Amy and how they became: beautiful souls at the service of other people, in particular children.  Look, what a happy family can donate to the world. A world seen as inclusivity, a world seen as donation and service.  

Children must be happy. I won't never write this phrase sufficiently enough, because a good and happy kid will become a happy adult. In a good environment, with parents and relatives in grade to be positive people for them, in grade of giving them a good, proper education made by light, optimism, trust, love.

An environment where possibly, books shouldn't be considered weird creatures, but inviting tools for reading much better our reality and where art, nature, the beauty of this world appreciated in every possible shape.

I read and reviewed time ago a biography about Louisa May Alcott and I remain of the idea that the boarding school portrayed, Plumfield, was similar at the domestic situation she lived at home thanks to her dad.

May this book be a wonderful reading for littles and adults.

Highly highly recommended.

I thank Wordsworth Editions for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori