The Revelation of Louisa May

by Michaela MacColl

Overview

Louisa May Alcott can't believe it—her mother is leaving for the summer to earn money for the family and Louisa is to be in charge of the household. How will she find the time to write her stories, much less have any adventures of her own? But before long, Louisa finds herself juggling her temperamental father, a mysterious murder, a fugitive seeking refuge along the Underground Railroad, and blossoming love. Intertwining fact, fiction, and quotes from Little Women, Michaela MacColl has crafted another spunky heroine whose story will keep readers turning pages until the very end.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452133577
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	04/28/2015
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Michaela MacColl studied multidisciplinary history at Vassar College and Yale University, which turns out to be the perfect degree for writing historical fiction. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

02/16/2015
As in Always Emily and Nobody’s Secret, MacColl again delivers a historical novel based on a 19th-century writer and her problematic family: this time Louisa May Alcott and the community of transcendentalists in Concord, Mass. Set over a few days in the summer of 1846 when the 15-year-old budding writer is in charge of the household, the story compellingly presents the conflicts between principles and practicality, as Louisa’s challenging relationship with her idealistic father, Bronson, grows especially fraught. She also faces a slew of unexpected problems, notably the arrival of a noxious slave catcher in pursuit of the fugitive slave the Alcotts are harboring, who seems to have potentially harmful information about their good friends Henry Thoreau and the Emersons. On his heels comes distant cousin Fred, suddenly grown tall and handsome, with a new interest in Louisa. Intrigue quickly builds on several fronts, and a climactic crisis forces Louisa, with sister Beth’s help, into some detective work, delivering a resolution that is likely to surprise. An author’s note recounts the factual bases for the novel and includes Alcott’s biographical information. A satisfying, thought-provoking read. Ages 12–up. Agency: Sterling Lord Literistic. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"A satisfying, thought-provoking read."-Publishers Weekly

"Reads like a contemporary young adult novel that will draw in a whole new audience."-School Library Connection, starred review

"A tantalizing glimpse of the real Louisa May Alcott's life."-Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

02/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—Readers are immediately drawn into Louisa's 19th-century world as her mother departs for work in the city and Louisa discovers a runaway slave, named George, hiding outside the Alcott home. The teen capably manages the various conflicts in the novel: money struggles, her relationship with her father, George's safety, and romantic tensions between her and her distant cousin, Fred. Unsavory characters like Fitch, who is a slave catcher, and a disreputable woman named Miss Whittington, bring additional tension to this plot-driven novel. As she did with Always Emily (Chronicle, 2014), MacColl creates a strong sense of place, both in time and with her presentation of the physical environment. Her fluid incorporation of the transcendentalists and their movement aligns well with her attention to the novel's setting. Although conflict and intrigue ensue, with protecting George and solving a murder, Louisa's character unfortunately remains static. VERDICT Though light on character development, MacColl has created a page-turner that satisfies.—Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY

School Library Journal

2015-01-20
Fifteen-year-old Louisa Alcott cares for her family while protecting a fugitive slave, coping with a budding romance and solving a puzzling murder.Louisa's philosopher father refuses to earn a living, forcing the Alcotts to live in perpetual penury despite mother Marmee's endless economizing. In 1846, Marmee temporarily leaves her family in Concord to work in New Hampshire. A hot-tempered, strong-willed "force to be reckoned with," Louisa would rather be scribbling stories, but Marmee relies on her to keep house for her father and sisters as well as a runaway slave the Alcotts are hiding. When a slave catcher named Finch discovers the Alcotts are ardent abolitionists, he stalks and threatens Louisa. Her distant cousin Fred arrives for a visit with romantic intentions, further complicating Louisa's life. After Finch is murdered and her father implicated, Louisa's determined to find the real murderer. Artfully integrated quotes from Little Women and biographical facts transform this fictitious plot into a tantalizing glimpse of the real Louisa May Alcott's life, including her complex family relationships, unconventional convictions, and famous neighbors, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. A summary of this period in Alcott's life separates fact from fiction. An intriguing introduction to young Louisa May Alcott as a spunky heroine. (author's note, further reading) (Historical fiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Review

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