Wisdom from Little Women
“Give them all my dear love and a kiss. Tell them I think of them by day, pray for them by night and find my best comfort in their affection at all times. A year seems very long to wait before I see them, but remind them that while we wait, we may all work so that these hard days need not be wasted. I know they will remember all I said to them, that they will be loving children to you, will do their duty faithfully, fight their bosom enemies, bravely, and conquer themselves so beautifully, that when I come back to them, I may be fonder and prouder than ever of my little women.”—Father March in Wisdom From Little Women compiled by Isabel Anders and Tracy Grant (2021).
Tracy Grant and I have both had the privilege of knowing Isabel Anders for over twenty years. Isabel was my writing mentor, and Tracy was her agent. So when Isabel asked Tracy to help create an expanded and updated edition of her popular compilation, The Wisdom of Little Women, she was all in.
They, of course, were stepping into a stream of an ongoing fascination with the March sisters—especially as they frequently reappear in fresh cinematic interpretations. Nevertheless, Tracy confides she had questions.
How to best introduce a new generation of readers, like her children, to this classic 1868 steeped in Christian wisdom?
In a flood of pop cultural images and increasingly banal language—would these excerpts capture the interest of young readers?
Would they relate to the traditional values and focus on characters that can seem lost in a YouTube, Tik-Tok world?
The answer for her daughters was a resounding “yes!” Even though she needed to explain some references, they loved Louisa May Alcott’s lyrical phraseology -- “it sounds so beautiful” -- and the idea of sisters being best friends.
Tracy’s sons asked her questions about the novel and the characters’ fates. They said it sounded intense, but they “grew up fast...together.” Then, they all asked for copies.
This was also my experience reading jewels gleaned from one of our favorite childhood novels with no age boundaries. One of my favorite excerpts from the book is by Jo. “Beth is my conscience, and I can’t give her up. I can’t! I can’t!” Another is by Mother March. “Once upon a time, there were four girls, who had enough to eat and drink and wear, a good many comforts and pleasures, kind friends and parents, who loved them dearly, and yet they were not contented.”
I am buying many copies for Valentine and graduation presents for friends of all ages, men and women, boys and girls.
https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Little-Women-Louisa-Alcott/dp/B09MYRFW53
Joanna joannaseibert.com