If you liked Little Women and Little Men, you’ll be rewarded for reading Jo’s Boys because you’ll find out what happened to Nat, Dan, Nan, Emil, Tom, Demi, Daisy, Bess, Jo, Meg, Amy and Laurie in another ten years.

Jo is transformed into a famous novelist who spends her time trying to hide from her public with little luck. It’s quite humorous. Plumfield is now a college. Nat goes abroad for advanced training in music and learns other lessons better. Dan seeks to build a new world in the West and runs into the consequences of his quick temper. Emil has a most remarkable adventure on the high seas that will remind many of classic sailing tales in the 19th century. Nan is interested in medicine and little else. Demi turns out to be spoiled. Daisy is patiently waiting for her love to return.

By this time, Louisa May Alcott had become identified more closely with Women’s Rights, and Jo’s Boys is in some ways a tract piece to advance the cause of equal opportunity for women. I was struck by how modern many of the views are, although the way they are expressed is definitely from the 19th century.

She also takes herself more seriously as a writer and enriches the text with references that may not be familiar to many readers. That effect makes the book seem much less accessible.

But the same loving heart underlies this reunion. You just have to look past more language to find it.

Zip file of the entire book 277MB

Tags: Louisa May Alcott