The Dark Side of Alcott

Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" is an integral part of most little girls' childhood. Not only did I have several editions of the book, but I had Little Women paper dolls, journals, puzzle books...even a Little Women 10th birthday card my aunt managed to find for me.

Unfortunately, I quickly outgrew the innocent storyline, opting instead for more mature reading. Until, that is, another aunt gave me what is possibly my favorite book of all time -- a collection of little-known stories by Louisa May Alcott, most that were originally published under a secret pen name.

Named "A Whisper in the Dark," the collection is horribly wonderful. A far cry from Little Women, these short stories feature plots laced with drugs, adultery, incest, murder (and suicide), lies, actresses and alcohol. The themes are so far from Alcott's other literature that it's very hard to believe it's the same writer. However, the intricately-woven plots and delightful characterizations are classic, and often, comparisons can be made to Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy.

To me, discovering these stories was like finding buried treasure. I loved them so much I wrote my final literary research paper on them for College Composition (Expos) II. I cannot tell you how rewarding it is to 'grow up' accompanied by your favorite author.