About this item
An eye-opening look at Little Women author Louisa May Alcott's time as a Civil War nurse, and the far-reaching implications her service had on her writing and her activism Louisa on the Frontlines is the first narrative nonfiction book focusing on the least-known aspect of Louisa May Alcott's career - her time spent as a nurse during the Civil War. Though her service was brief, the dramatic experience was one that she considered pivotal in helping her write the beloved classic Little Women. It also deeply affected her tenuous relationship with her father, and inspired her commitment to abolitionism. Through it all, she kept a journal and wrote letters to her family and friends. These letters were published in the newspaper, and her subsequent book, Hospital Sketches spotlighted the dire conditions of the military hospitals and the suffering endured by the wounded soldiers she cared for. To this day, her work is considered a pioneering account of military nursing. Alcott's time as an Army nurse in the Civil War helped her find her authentic voice--and cemented her foundational belief system. Louisa on the Frontlines reveals the emergence of this prominent feminist and abolitionist--a woman whose life and work has inspired millions and continues to do so today,
About the Author
Samantha Seiple's latest book is Louisa on the Front Lines: Louisa May Alcott in the Civil War (Seal Press) , the first narrative nonfiction book focusing on the least-known aspect of Louisa May Alcott's career - her time spent as a nurse during the Civil War. Though her service was brief, the dramatic experience was one that she considered pivotal in helping her write the beloved classic Little Women. It also deeply affected her tenuous relationship with her father, and solidified her commitment to human rights. Louisa on the Front Lines has been praised as "Lively, well-researched ... engaging and informative ... Alcott herself would have marveled at how Seiple's biographical and historical account reads like a novel!" by leading Alcott scholar Daniel Shealy, co-editor of The Journals of Louisa May Alcott and The Selected Letters of Louisa May Alcott.Seiple enjoys uncovering forgotten and little-known aspects of history and meticulously crafting the factual story to read like a novel. Louisa on the Front Lines is her first biographical account for the adult audience. Her previous narrative nonfiction books for young adults include Ghosts in the Fog: The Untold Story of Alaska's WWII Invasion, a YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Nominee and a Junior Library Guild Selection; Lincoln's Spymaster: America's First Private Eye, a Junior Library Guild Selection; Byrd & Igloo: A Polar Adventure; and Death on the River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Amazon Adventure, a Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Gold Award winner.Seiple lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband, Todd, and tiny toy poodle, Lucy.
