An eye-opening look at Little Women author Louisa May Alcott's time
as a Civil War nurse, and the far-reaching implications her service had
on her writing and her activism
Louisa on the Frontlines is the first narrative nonfiction book
focusing on the least-known aspect of Louisa May Alcott's career -- her
time spent as a nurse during the Civil War. Though her service was
brief, the dramatic experience was one that she considered pivotal in
helping her write the beloved classic Little Women. It also deeply
affected her tenuous relationship with her father, and inspired her
commitment to abolitionism. Through it all, she kept a journal and wrote
letters to her family and friends. These letters were published in the
newspaper, and her subsequent book, Hospital Sketches spotlighted the
dire conditions of the military hospitals and the suffering endured by
the wounded soldiers she cared for. To this day, her work is considered
a pioneering account of military nursing.
Alcott's time as an Army nurse in the Civil War helped her find her
authentic voice -- and cemented her foundational belief system. Louisa
on the Frontlines reveals the emergence of this prominent feminist and
abolitionist -- a woman whose life and work has inspired millions and
continues to do so today,
