Review: Little Woman in Blue by Jeannine Atkins

Title: Little Woman in Blue
Author: Jeannine Atkins
Format: Paperback
Publisher: She Writes Press
Publish Date: September 15, 2015
Source: I received a copy from the author; however, this did not affect my review.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "May Alcott spends her days sewing blue shirts for Union soldiers, but she dreams of painting a masterpiece—which many say is impossible for a woman—and of finding love, too. When she reads her sister’s wildly popular novel, Little Women, she is stung by Louisa’s portrayal of her as “Amy,” the youngest of four sisters who trades her desire to succeed as an artist for the joys of hearth and home. Determined to prove her talent, May makes plans to move far from Massachusetts and make a life for herself with room for both watercolors and a wedding dress. Can she succeed? And if she does, what price will she have to pay? Based May Alcott’s letters and diaries, as well as memoirs written by her neighbors, Little Woman in Blue puts May at the center of the story she might have told about sisterhood and rivalry in an extraordinary family."

My Two Cents:

"Little Woman in Blue" is the story of May Alcott, sister of Louisa, who is the author of "Little Women" (one of my very favorites). She became very famous for it and what I didn't realize is that a lot of the inspiration for the book came from Louisa's own life. The book leaves a sour taste in May's mouth as she doesn't like how here character, Amy, is portrayed. This is a look at the complex relationship of sisterhood with all of its love and rivalry. 

I was drawn to this book because I love "Little Women." I love how historical fiction can give you a great introduction to some really interesting lives. Also I'm fascinated by stories of sisters. I have two sisters who are the most incredible sisters and friends that I could ever ask for and I feel very lucky that I have them. May and Louisa don't have nearly as loving relationship. They care for each other but there is a lot of sibling rivalry between them. They both want very different things in life and to some degree they both seem to judge each other what they do and do not want out of life. The author gets us super close to their lives and the characters, especially May and Louisa begin to feel like friends.


I didn't know much about Louisa May Alcott's life or her family before reading this book. I definitely did not realize that May was an artist in her own right. I loved getting to know all of them through this book. The author's historical facts was really wonderful and kept me entertained and turning the pages. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future!