Review of “An Old Fashioned Girl” by Louisa May Alcott

I’m reviewing a “classic” today!

Publisher Description:

An Old-Fashioned Girl is a novel by Louisa May Alcott. It was first serialised in the Merry’s Museum magazine between July and August in 1869 and consisted of only six chapters. For the finished product, however, Alcott continued the story from the chapter “Six Years Afterwards” and so it ended up with nineteen chapters in all. The book revolves around Polly Milton, the old-fashioned girl who titles the story. Polly visits her wealthy friend Fanny Shaw in the city and is overwhelmed by the fashionable and urban life they live––but also left out because of her “countrified” manners and outdated clothes.

Polly Milton, a 14-year-old country girl, visits her cousin Fanny Shaw and her wealthy family in the city for the first time. Poor Polly is overwhelmed by the splendor at the Shaws’ and their urbanized, fashionable lifestyles, expensive clothes and other habits she has never been exposed to, and, for the most part, dislikes. Fanny’s friends reject her because of her different behavior and simple clothing, and Fan herself can’t help considering her unusual sometimes. However, Polly’s warmth, support and kindness eventually win the hearts of all the family members, and her old-fashioned ways teach them a lesson.

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 My Review:

I first read several of Louisa May Alcott’s books when I was around ten years old, and “Little Woman” is still one of my favorite books. I’ve recently been taking another look at her books and have enjoyed reading this story again.  

The book is just like its title.  It’s old-fashioned, but I find that very refreshing.  Polly’s example of love, faith, hope, and holding to the courage of her convictions still shines brightly today.  Her morals, manners, and kindness will never be out of style.  If you’ve never read this one, give it a try.  The language is a little “old fashioned”, too, but that’s part of its charm.

I’ve posted a link to purchase this book; the purchase price is 99 cents. However, there are some Kindle editions of this book that are free. (Read the reviews about these, as some of them seem to have formatting problems.)  There are also some Louisa May Alcott collections that are inexpensive, so you may want to check those out before you purchase this one.