Dimensions
130 x 210 x 5mm
Before she wrote Little Women - one of the most popular books for children ever written - Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) served during the Civil War as a volunteer nurse in Washington, D.C. Drawing on that episode in her life, she produced Hospital Sketches, a fictionalized account of her experiences at the military hospital in Georgetown.This collection of five poignant short stories contains two pieces from Hospital Sketches, published in 1863: ""Obtaining Supplies,"" recounting the obstacles Alcott's fictionalized persona, Tribulation Periwinkle, faced in gaining her independence and getting to Washington; and ""A Night,"" a moving account of her encounter with a dying soldier. Also included are ""My Contraband,"" a gripping tale of vengeance involving a Civil War nurse, her Confederate patient and his former slave; ""Happy Women,"" a fictionalized essay about four ""spinsters"" with a positive attitude toward their marital status; and ""How I Went Out to Service,"" an autobiographical sketch of a young woman's undaunted pursuit of financial independence. Rich in their simple eloquence, these stories provide revealing glimpses of the concerns and literary techniques of one of America's most admired authors.
