Little Women
C
BY JAN TURNQUIST
“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents, grumbled Jo . . .” The irony — the beautiful irony — of Louisa May Alcott’s opening words in Little Women is striking, as the ultimate message of the book is quite the opposite of its iconic opening line. Readers of Little Women simply begin a journey that leads to a boldly empowering expansion of the heart. We follow along with the March sisters as they learn to care for others, even while struggling with their own desires and disappointments, and we identify with their experiences. Whether enacting a play for an audience in their parlor, or preparing to give their Christmas breakfast feast to a needy family, our mind’s eye envisions the girls’ widening realization that caring 28
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| Winter 2020
for something other than self and sharing what gifts they possess are far more fulfilling than receiving presents. Looking at life through a Little Women lens, we broaden our scope to see that the March sisters truly yearn and strive for personal agency in order to become the best version of themselves, regardless of the opinion of others, and often despite their own flaws and struggles. Tomboy Jo March defies the conventions of her day, which would have her act “proper” and “lady-like,” by instead exuberantly being herself. For more than 150 years, people of all cultures and circumstances have taken heart from the lessons of Little Women and found encouragement to embrace their own uniqueness and live their own story.
Over the course of 108 years, millions of visitors from all over the world have come to regard Orchard House as a place of inspiration as well as an authentically preserved historic home. While many visitors are interested in the accuracy and authenticity of our guided tour experience, they are awestruck by the rare opportunity to see the modest desk where Louisa May Alcott penned a beloved novel set in this very house. The desk itself, built by A. Bronson Alcott for his daughter, is inspiring in its simplicity and as a symbol of a father’s encouragement of his daughter’s talent. No matter how many times they return, however, visitors often comment that what draws them back - often repeatedly - isn’t an artifact as much as it is the palpable sense of
©Trey Powers
tt’s Orchard House
From The House of
Courtesy of Louisa May Alco
Orchard House in Winter
