A Word for Wednesday

"For love is a flower that grows in any soil, works its sweet miracles undaunted by autumn frost or winter snow, blooming fair and fragrant all the year, and blessing those who give and those who receive."

~from Little Men by Louisa May Alcott~

A Word for Wednesday

"Simple, genuine goodness is the best capital to found the business of this life upon. It lasts when fame and money fail, and is the only riches we can take out of this world with us."

~from Little Men by Louisa May Alcott~

A Word for Wednesday

"It is never too early to try and plant [good principles] in a child and never too late to cultivate them in the most neglected person."

~from Little Men by Louisa May Alcott~

A Word for Wednesday

"For no matter how lost and soiled and worn out wandering sons may be, mothers can forgive and forget everything as they fold them in their fostering arms. Happy the son whose faith in his mother remains unchanged, and who, through all his wanderings, has kept some filial token to repay her brave and tender love."

~from Little Men by Louisa May Alcott~

A Word for Wednesday

"A lie is a lie, and though we all tell many polite untruths in this queer world of ours, it is not right, and everybody knows it."

~from Little Men by Louisa May Alcott~

A Word for Wednesday

"It takes so little to make a child happy that it is a pity, in a world full of sunshine and pleasant things, that there should be any wistful faces, empty hands, or lonely little hearts."

~from Little Men by Louisa May Alcott~

Let's Bust a Recap : Little Men

Um, hi. It's August already. Can you even believe it? It seems like this year is flying by at breakneck speeds, and I'm barely hanging on. 

Anyway, it's time to recap the third and final book I read on my trip to Japan: Little Men by Louisa May Alcott. 

As you already know if you've been following my blog, I'm a huge fan of Little Women, and Little Men is actually the second book in what some might consider an unofficial Little Women trilogy which concludes with Alcott's 1886 novel Jo's Boys (which someone needs to get me for Christmas so I can keep this party rolling, HINT HINT!). Little Men (also called Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys) was published in 1871 in response to the overwhelming popularity of Little Women and the demand from readers to hear more about their beloved literary characters. 

The story of Little Men spans 6 months in the lives of the Bhaer family (Jo and her husband and sons) and their home-slash-school for a dozen ragtag boys. It is every bit as heartwarming and delicious as Little Women, and I 100% recommend it. In Little Men, we also catch up with the rest of the March family, and it's absolutely delightful to visit with Laurie and Amy, Meg and John, Marmee and Grandpa March and see the ways they're involved with the boys at Plumfield. 

Little Men isn't without it's heartbreak though, and I would caution you against reading this book in public places as I was bawling in the Tokyo airport as I finished it up. I got a few odd glances cast in my direction, and I'm sure people were wondering what in the Sam Hill was my problem. #notashamed #worthit

To sum it up, Louisa May Alcott is absolutely brilliant and everything she writes is completely lovely. Easily a 5 out of 5 stars, and you should definitely read it. And don't you worry, we have almost as many Wednesdays booked with Little Men quotes as we did with Great Expectations so get excited.

Have you ever read Little Men? Who is your favorite of Jo's boys? (#TeamLaurieForever) And most importantly, who is going to buy me Jo's Boys for Christmas? #nopressure #butseriously