Invincible Louisa is a biographical drama of Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888). The book focuses mainly on the years from her birth until her work as a volunteer nurse for the Union Army in Washington, D.C. Invincible Louisa is written with the same affected, sentimental, domestic tone of Alcott's "girl book," Little Women and, as in Little Women, this tone is a gloss that covers the underlying subversive feminist theme. On the surface, Branson Alcott is kindly, gentile, and idealistic. Yet, at the same time, the text shows scene after scene of harrowing oppression, destitution, and poverty that his family suffers under his kindly, gentile, and idealistic domination. Cornelia Meigs obtained inside knowledge of Louisa May Alcott's life through interviews with close family members, and through Alcott’s own journals and correspondence. As a writer I was inspired by how long and hard Ms. Alcott had to work before she found her voice, and her writings found their audience. ( )

Written in 1933, this is an idealized look at Louisa May Alcott's life. Her life was an interesting and difficult one, and yet Ms. Meigs makes of Louisa the ideal heroine. Reading this book creates a feeling that the Alcotts were noble, thoughtful, cheerful people who had figured out the secret of happiness. For a child reader, this book gives ample detail of Louisa's whole life. For an adult, I kept having the feeling that I was reading about someone not quite real. ( )

A flawlessly researched account of Author Louisa May Alcott; her family, friends, joys and sorrows, with daguerreotype pictures ranging from 1862—on, by Wendell McRae. A fascinating exposé about a courageous woman I should have known more about and now do.
Awards: Newbery Medal, 1934 ( )

Too many assumptions and too much inventive opinion to be considered a biography. It's more like sycophantic fan fiction...the author attempts to copy Alcott's writing style and puts an amazing number of thoughts into the head of a woman who has been dead more than 100 years. The imagined thoughts of little Louisa, of course, are either saintly or trigger in her a desire to be saintly.

I was particularly put off by comments such as '...the book beloved by your mother and grandmothers and entrusted by them into your loving care' (paraphrased). Where Alcott came across in Little Women as as a warm and cozy but practical sermonizer, Meigs is cloyingly sweet.

The book was also disappointing in its incredibly light treatment of the half of Alcott's life that came after writing Little Women, which makes up only about 15% of the book.

3 STARS: Read once & recommend selectively (only because it's a Newbery Medal winner -- must have been a bad year for kid's books...) ( )

A great story. Tells the fascinating life of a fascinating author. As compelling and absorbing as any fiction. ( )