The Life of the Little Women
by Elmer Prather, guest blogger
My latest puzzle is a five-hundred piece titled Little Women by Jill Howarth. When I first saw the puzzle, I was impressed with all the pastel colors used to decorate the houses, people, and trees.
Puzzle assembled and photo taken by Elmer Prather
Once on a trip to Boston, Massachusetts I took a tour of Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts. This is where Louisa May Alcott authored the book, Little Women. The book is set during the Civil War; it underscores the era’s expectations about a woman’s place in the world.
Generations of people have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s most popular and enduring novel, Little Women. Jo, Beth, Meg, and Amy remain united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War. The names of the sisters can be found in different corners of this puzzle along with a portrait of each of them.
It is no secret that Alcott based Little Women on her own early life. Louisa supported herself and her sisters with “woman work” including doing laundry and acting as a domestic servant. But she soon discovered she could make more money writing. Little Women brought her lasting fame and fortune.
Louisa May and her family moved to Orchard House in 1858 after twenty years of frequent relocations and they lived there until 1877. Orchard House was a twelve‑acre property with a manor house and an orchard of forty apple trees, which inspired its name. The house is preserved as a museum and is considered the authentic setting for the novel, with many original furnishings still in place.
At Orchard House, Alcott wrote Little Women in 1868 at a “shelf desk” her father built for her. The home’s atmosphere and the family’s domestic life directly influenced the book’s setting and characters. Today, visitors can tour Orchard House to see the desk, original rooms, and learn about the Alcott family’s life and work.
This was a very pleasant puzzle to put together.
Elmer Prather
Canton, Georgia
U S A
