Michaela MacColl

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School Library Journal Likes Louisa!

School Library Journal/February 2015

“A page-turner that satisfies.”—School Library Journal

Readers are immediately drawn into Louisa’s 19th-century world as her mother departs for work in the city and Louisa discovers a runaway slave, named George, hiding outside the Alcott home. The teen capably manages the various conflicts in the novel: money struggles, her relationship with her father, George’s safety, and romantic tensions between her and her distant cousin, Fred. Unsavory characters like Fitch, who is a slave catcher, and a disreputable woman named Miss Whittington, bring additional tension to this plot-driven novel. As she did with Always Emily (Chronicle, 2014), MacColl creates a strong sense of place, both in time and with her presentation of the physical environment. Her fluid incorporation of the transcendentalists and their movement aligns well with her attention to the novel’s setting. Although conflict and intrigue ensue, with protecting George and solving a murder, Louisa’s character unfortunately remains static. VERDICT Though light on character development, MacColl has created a page-turner that satisfies.

Publishers Weekly is a fan of The Revelation of Louisa May

Publishers Weekly/February 13, 2015

“A satisfying, thought-provoking read.”–Publishers Weekly

As in Always Emily and Nobody’s Secret, MacColl again delivers a historical novel based on a 19th-century writer and her problematic family: this time Louisa May Alcott and the community of transcendentalists in Concord, Mass. Set over a few days in the summer of 1846 when the 15-year-old budding writer is in charge of the household, the story compellingly presents the conflicts between principles and practicality, as Louisa’s challenging relationship with her idealistic father, Bronson, grows especially fraught. She also faces a slew of unexpected problems, notably the arrival of a noxious slave catcher in pursuit of the fugitive slave the Alcotts are harboring, who seems to have potentially harmful information about their good friends Henry Thoreau and the Emersons. On his heels comes distant cousin Fred, suddenly grown tall and handsome, with a new interest in Louisa. Intrigue quickly builds on several fronts, and a climactic crisis forces Louisa, with sister Beth’s help, into some detective work, delivering a resolution that is likely to surprise. An author’s note recounts the factual bases for the novel and includes Alcott’s biographical information. A satisfying, thought-provoking read.

Louisa May Alcott goes to war!

International Women’s month goes on! There’s a terrific website called Kidlit Celebrates Women’s History Month – they asked me to contribute a post about Louisa May Alcott. I wrote about her service in the Civil War.  What I didn’t mention in the post is that when Louisa was ill with typhoid the doctors dosed her with mercury — a common remedy at the time.  Most scholars believe that Louisa’s early death at 56 was due to heavy metal poisoning — so she continued to sacrafice for her country. Check out the blog post here.

An illustration from Hospital Sketches in 1892. This was Louisa's fictionalized memoir of her time as a hospital nurse.

It’s International Women’s Week!

I’ve written a post about Louisa May Alcott’s particular practical feminism. Check it out at E. Kristin Anderson’s blog, Write All the Words. I talk about the real life Marmee and Louisa’s relationship with her.

The true life "Marmee!"

Sometimes a good review is all you need to brighten your day!

I’m struggling with the end of holidays, a house too full of deeply loved people (who I wish would just let me get on with my writing!) and a new book. When you’re in the trenches, facing a blank page, sometimes it helps to remember that you’ve done this before. Not only have you done it, but people have liked it. I just received this charming review from a Bronte fan in England — she liked Always Emily for all the right reasons!