Rose in Bloom

Readers of Eight Cousins, rejoice - Rose Campbell is back in town! It’s been two years since she left Boston for a trip abroad with Uncle Alex and her companion, Phebe. She’s all grown up now, and the beautiful, warm-hearted young heiress is quite the matrimonial catch. Her family expects her to marry right away, but Rose has learned a great deal while she was away and wants to establish her independence before settling down. The boys of the Campbell clan have grown up, too: Archie, the eldest; Charlie, the most talented and handsome of the lot; bookish Mac; Steve, the dandy; brothers Will and Geordie; and playful Jamie. Rose has a special relationship with each of them, but whether their rapport can blossom into true love remains to be seen. This sweetly nostalgic coming-of-age story by the author of Little Women offers a charming blend of romance, seriousness, and humour. AGES: 8 to 12 AUTHOR: Best known as the author of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott (1832 1888) grew up in a community of New England transcendentalists that included Thoreau and Emerson. Because her learned but impractical father was a poor provider, she supported her family by writing stories for magazines while she was still a teenager. Alcott worked in Washington, D.C. during the Civil War as a nurse, recording her experiences in Hospital Sketches, and her many novels are particularly noteworthy for their portraits of strong, self-reliant heroines.