Guest Blog: Erin Blakemore of The Heroine’s Bookshelf

(Editor’s note: I met the lovely Erin Blakemore via Twitter and blogs a few months ago, and have been eagerly awaiting the release of her book, The Heroine’s Bookshelf – on sale last week. She’s doing a book signing at Wellesley Booksmith this Wednesday, as well as a panel discussion at the Boston Public Library on Thursday. I’m so excited to finally meet her! Read on for some surprising facts about one of her – and my – favorite authors.)

6 Things You Didn’t Know About Louisa May Alcott

When I started writing The Heroine’s Bookshelf, I knew I was excited to find out more about the lives of the women behind my favorite literary heroines.  What I never expected was to become even more fascinated (okay, semi-obsessed) with one of American letters’ most irascible and intense figures.  Here are six things I was surprised to hear about Louisa May Alcott: 

1.  She hated fame.  When Little Women hit big, Louisa hated the public outcry for information on their favorite new author.  She resented the people who felt it was okay to knock on her door, interrupt her life, and demand her attention.
2.  She might have been a drug addict.  Racked by pain from the time of her ill-fated stint as a Civil War nurse, Louisa turned to morphine and opium for pain relief and sleep.
3.  She didn’t just write girls’ stories.  In fact, Louisa penned some scandalous stuff — racy stories full of sex, violence, and unsavory characters.
4.  She didn’t love being a little woman.  In fact, Louisa railed against her role as a daughter and a woman her entire life long.
5.  She was an adoptive mother.  When Louisa’s sister May died tragically young in Europe, Louisa inherited her daughter, Louisa (“Lulu”).  She also legally adopted the son of her sister Anna, willing him the rights to her work.
6.  She was a runner.  Only about a century ahead of her time.

Want to learn more about Louisa and eleven other fascinating authors?  The Heroine’s Bookshelf finds life lessons in some of literature’s most enduring books.  Visit http://theheroinesbookshelf.com to learn more.

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