The Other Alcott audiobook

I was fortunate enough to win a Kindle ebook copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway. Many thanks to the author and goodreads friend, Elise Hooper. I wish you great success with your debut tale based on the life of Abigail May Alcott Nieriker (1840-1879).Elise has obviously done a great deal of research into not only May's life but also the historical background for the story, most especially the art scene in Europe during the fascinating period when 'a group of artists were 'experimenting with composition, style, and technique' and struggling to be accepted by the traditional art world and critics in the press who dubbed them 'Impressionists.'Abigail May Alcott, known as May, was Louisa May Alcott's youngest sister and a very talented artist in her own right. She spent many years developing her talents with renowned teachers and had two paintings accepted for exhibition at the famous Paris Salon. But it was hard to live in her famous sister's shadow and accept her largesse and Elise imagines some friction between these sisters, who were part of a close-knit family. Elise also imagines the fierce competition and petty jealousies that very likely occurred between fellow art students. The story is quite readable and interesting as May Alcott comes alive for the reader in the pages of this debut work. Well done, Elise!

Little Women was only one of those books that enraged me. . . I felt hoodwinked at the end, each time I read it, and soundly placed the blame on the author. She who leads readers on and then perversely switches the end she's been hinting at - any author who does that, without warning, well, they are bound to be a challenge in real life.After reading The Other Alcott I feel my opinion is confirmed- Louisa is competitive and imperious. While I never had considered actual Alcott siblings sitting about in the life that was Louisa's. . .Elise Hooper does a pretty good job of weaving a tale that is believable around these assumptions. She's done lots of research, and fleshed out the other siblings and parents, has visited the places and communities written about in Alcott's stories. She was primary breadwinner for the family, I get that. No easy task in those years, with all family members present and living on Louisa's income. That's not comfortable in any era, but if you have someone who might have preferred to do something else but was chained to the task of keeping everyone in socks and shoes. . . .well, yikes. The author shows another side of Louisa that I had never considered, and it rings true to me. Add to that a sister who has the same level of ambition, but more lost opportunity than found. . .that is the story Elise Hooper wrote.Originally started a little reluctantly because of my feelings about Little Women, but the more I read, the more I was pulled into the story Elise Hooper has written. May caught my interest with all of her struggles to prove herself, and I appreciated all her persistence with those efforts to overcome and rise above challenges from many directions in her artistry and life. I'm glad she had her Lulu, and was sad she left this world so early.4 stars, given with an encouragement to seek out May's handiwork. It's lovely.

Though I love Little Women and knew it was somewhat autobiographical, I did not know a whole lot about the lives of the Alcotts. I very much enjoyed this sensitive and well-researched imagining of the life of the youngest Alcott, immortalized in Little Women as cute, willful, pretentious Amy. The re

Reading Elise Hooper’s debut reminded me of one of the first books I fell in love with as a young girl. I devoured The Other Alcott in the same fashion as Little Women. Transported to another time, lost in the pages of this vivid world that sweeps from Concord to Paris and London and Rome, this story will make you fall in love with May Alcott, and when you reach that last page, and the journey is over, you’ll want to go back to beginning, and start all over again—it’s that good.

FANS OF LITTLE WOMEN - DON'T MISS THIS ONE!An absolutely fascinating debut by Elise Hooper. Along with millions of other people, I've long loved Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. However, I knew little about the author's life, and even less about her sister, May. I loved learning more about the Alcott's unconventional family. I thought concentrating on May in this historical fiction was a genius idea - how must it have been at that point in history to have a hugely successful sister while you have professional ambitions of your own? The novel examines this question in a thoughtful and honest manner. Hooper is a beautiful writer, and the tone of THE OTHER ALCOTT felt almost like an extension of Little Women - which is great praise indeed. Meticulously researched, all the historical details feel authentic. I enjoyed the novel so much I wanted to draw this read out but just couldn't pace myself, as I was eager to find out what happened next.Bottom Line: An incredible analysis of the love between two sisters and how they each fought against society's expectations. Highly recommended.

My Rating:4.5Favorite Quotes:You two make me glad I’m an only child.I’m advising you to find the balance between painting your subject with mastery and sensitivity. In other words, if a client hires you to paint a portrait of his horse-faced wife, you better find a way to make those horsey features attractive.She had violet-colored eyes that glowed like amethysts from under a fringe of long black lashes. Between her size and extraordinary eye color, she looked like a fairy. May eyed the remarkable-looking woman’s ears to be sure they weren’t pointed.He picked at his lapels with soft, white fingers that made May squeamish with the sensation she was viewing a body part better left unexposed.When Herr and Frau Nieriker disembarked from the train on Saturday morning, they made a distinctive couple. She possessed the stout figure of a pickling jar whereas he resembled a fork, long and thin with a thatch of white hair that stuck straight upward in tines.My Review:I seldom read historical novels as the feminist in me becomes extremely chafed by how poorly women were treated – even by their own families. Not that we are always treated so well now, but women had no rights and such limited input or control over their lives and bodies. This story brought that point home and I could feel the frustration of both May, her friends and fellow artists, and despite her success, even her crabby sister Louisa. I cannot imagine the massive amount of research Ms. Hooper completed for this fascinating and thought-provoking story that was inspired by real people and factual accounts. It was an interesting and inspiring read that often squeezed my heart, and had an ending and Afterward that stung my eyes. I greatly enjoyed the history lesson of the exciting artist movement of Impressionism as I have always admired the works of Monet and Degas.I grew to greatly admire May who was the youngest of the surviving daughters of intelligent yet irresponsible parents. Louisa was already gaining recognition and fame as the author of Little Women as the story began, while May who aspired to be an artist, was devastated by criticisms and humiliating reviews of the illustrations she had completed for Louisa’s book. She yearned for and worked hard for her own independence and achievements/recognition apart from the constraints of her family and especially Louisa, and often feared she would forever be connected to and lessened by her more popular sister. Louisa was surly and irritable; although I imagine I would be as well if I had to support and care for my entire family by writing the type of book I didn’t enjoy while my lazy and negligent father was riding my coattails. Ms. Hooper produced a masterful and well-balanced story and had me feeling far more sympathetic and empathetic toward both women by the conclusion.

Gorgeously-written required reading for fans of LITTLE WOMEN, THE OTHER ALCOTT is the "rest of the story" we have all been waiting for since childhood. Thanks to the author for providing me with an advance copy of this novel for review purposes - all opinions are my own. There are two types of people in this world - those who have read Little Women, and those who haven't. And there isn't a category for those who have read but didn't love it, because those people simply don't exist! For all of us in the first category, THE OTHER ALCOTT takes us into the "real" (but fictionalized by Hooper) adult world of the Alcotts, where Louisa is seeing success from the publication of LITTLE WOMEN (although she resents having to write such juvenile fare) and her younger sister May is desperate to be independent and work on her budding career as an artist. She isn't happy about Louisa using her as a basis for the character of Amy and is reeling from critical reviews of her drawings in LW. May is the narrator of this novel, which takes us from 1868 to 1880 and is a sweeping epic including travel throughout England and Europe. I honestly can not believe that this is a debut title from Hooper - the research is absolutely breathtaking in its thoroughness and I actually messaged her asking if she is an artist because I couldn't imagine anyone other than a professional artist being able to write about art the way she does. There is an excellent Afterword and Discussion with the Author telling of Hooper's motivation for the book's inception, as well as an incredible amount of detail about the real Alcotts and art during this time period. Hooper also tells us exactly how much of this story is based on fact and which parts have been embellished for the story. There is a Discussion Guide included as well.I highly recommend this title to fans of LITTLE WOMEN (or those interested in literary and art life in the late 1800s), and I also think it will be a very popular book club selection. I also can envision it being a really fun read for a mother-daughter book club with daughters reading LW and mothers reading THE OTHER ALCOTT! Bravo to Hooper for this stunning debut.

This was the September selection for Instagram’s Salt Water Reads Book Club and loved it! May Alcott is an aspiring artist, who is always living in the shadow of her sister, Louisa, who wrote the infamous book, Little Women. May grows up longing to experience the world beyond Concord, Massachusetts, taking art lessons and turning down a marriage proposal from a well-to-do suitor, and facing scorn for what is very much a man's profession. The Alcott family never had it easy, so when Little Women was published, the success of Louisa's book eased the financial burdens they faced for so many years. Little Women is well received but May is upset and offended by the portrayal of spoiled and selfish Amy March, as the character is based on her. May loves her sister but decides to find her own path to discovery as she no longer wants to live in her shadow. "May never understood where the soul resided, but now she had a sense of it. It was an energy inside her, a burn to move forward, a longing to love."I will be the first to admit... I would’ve never thought to read this if it wasn’t for this awesome book club. But I’m certainly glad I did! I am one of those people that has never read Little Women - it wasn’t on purpose, it just never happened. Now I feel like I know them, at least May and Louisa, as well as their family dynamic. I really love how progressive they were for the late 19th century and how they were encouraged to pursue their dreams as artists and writers. This story is told through the eyes of May and it shows her journey to become an artist while also living in the shadow of her famous sister, Louisa, who is a beloved writer. This is a close knit family and I think Hooper does a great job showing the love they have for each other but also portraying the jealousy and resentment as well. I loved being transported to Europe as May discovered herself as an artist, and as a person. I also enjoyed all of the art references as some of my favorite artists were mentioned in the book. I thought the story was very well-written and I truly enjoyed it!! “She [May] remembered what Marmee used to say: It's none of your business what other people think of you." (Reminds me of something my great grandma would say)

4.5/5I completely loved The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper. In some ways, it was very much like I was expecting, being a book about the “other” woman “behind” someone very famous – I adore those books. In other ways, it surpassed my expectations. I knew going into it that I was getting a story about May Alcott, younger sister of Louisa of Little Women fame, but I had no idea that I was getting such a rich tale of travel, of art, and of May becoming independent in her own right. I wanted to read it quickly, to devour the story, but I forced myself to read it slowly and savor every word.I’ve been in the camp of people that have loved Little Women so much for my entire life. It is a comfort read for me. I’ve felt a very specific connection to it because my grandmother loved it when she was living and because she gifted me an especially lovely copy that I treasure. Further, I’ve always been intrigued by Alcott family because the story is based on them somewhat, although I’ve never fully known the details of the Alcott family beyond very, very basic knowledge. In a nutshell, the Alcott father was a philospher with some very unconventional views on life and nontraditional ways of living, which caused the Alcott family some hardship financially. This caused Louisa to feel certain pressures as a published author to provide for their entire family, which eventually ultimately alienated May and set her life in motion. The Other Alcott is one historical fiction account of her life, based on the research by the author.So, a sidenote: did you know that May illustrated Little Women? She did! The Other Alcott opens to Louisa receiving reviews in the mail for Little Women. She receives numerous positive reviews while May receives not-so-positive reviews for her illustrations. This wounds May deeply, because she is every bit as passionate about her art as Louisa is about her writing. This opening scene is wonderful at setting up the complicated relationship between May and Louisa that hounds May throughout her life and throughout the book.It also wounded May that Louisa chose to base Amy March, the youngest sibling character in the book, on May. I’m not sure that Louisa had the foresight to know how much it would hurt May, but this is something that May carried with her always. In this story, there is so much tension between the two sisters over – gosh – so many things, and I think it may have all stemmed from their creative differences and also competitiveness. Their back-and-forth isn’t the sole focus of the book, but it is often the catalyst for May’s decisions or where she bases herself geographically while she does her work. Their relationship is fascinating and quite a story in how two people relate to one another, and why.Speaking of May’s work, there is so much art in this book! There are so many of us readers that enjoy art in books, and I was not expecting so much detail and attention to be given to the art part of May’s life. It was awesome! I mean, technique, supplies, other artists that May worked alongside, all types of artsy things. For fans of art in books, The Other Alcott reads like a dream.The author talks about her specific uses of creative license in the Afterward at the end of the book, and I think that with the level of animosity between Louisa and May in particular, the use of license is something to be remembered when we read and think about this book. I loved reading the sibling dynamic between Louisa and May; I found it real and true and heartbreaking and loving and painful and hard and also very easy, underneath everything because they were sisters. In fact, except for the fact that my sisters and I do not live oceans apart like Louisa and May sometimes did, their relationship was very similar to the one I have with my two sisters. It was in this way that I was able to connect with the book so deeply on that level.I just loved this book so much. I thought I’d certainly like it a lot, but after finishing it, I completely adore it and have placed it on my top shelf among my other favorites from this year like The Essex Serpent and A Piece of the World. I think it will have a home with readers that love classic childrens literature, readers that love art, and readers that love stories of strong, compelling women.I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, William Morrow Books!Find this review and more like it on my blog, Into the Hall of Books!

Perfect for fans of 'Little Women.I was immediately intrigued by this book and its promise to part the virtual curtain on this famous author's life. I read Little Women in my pre-teens and felt a real affinity to Amy. Was she really as spoilt, selfish and vain as she appeared to be in the books?Instead of that egocentric little girl of Little Women, according to Elise Hooper, the real May Alcott was an ambitious artist. The book is set in the late 1880's, at the time when it was unusual for a woman to be an artist, or even be able to study painting, let alone attempt to make a living from her paintings. Much of the book is taken up with May's struggle to be accepted into the art circles or to be allowed to study art as easily as men can. Often, if she mentions her famous sister, doors are opened, something which May detests, especially as she often has to rely on her sister for financial assistance. But May struggles on, traveling to Europe to study and to pursue her dreams.I really enjoyed The Other Alcott and reading about May's life. It's always difficult to write about a hugely popular author or their books, but I believe Elise Hooper has created a credible, highly enjoyable, grown-up book for anyone who enjoyed – or even adored, like I did – Little Women. This novel manages to evoke the atmosphere of the original books by Louisa M Alcott while taking a modern look at the challenges women faced in the late 19th century.(Full review on my blog www.helenahalme.com)

This is a charming and imaginative read, one that pulls back the veil on a lesser-known Alcott who carved her own place in history. Kudos to the author for illuminating this life worth knowing!

Never realizedhow interesting a life and how successful an artistic career the "Amy" of Little Women had. Fascinating window on life of a working woman artist.