Book: Little Women

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott wrote her classic novel Little Women to make money. However, her practical purpose for writing the book doesn't diminish its charm for today's reader.

Little Women is recommended for children of all ages. However, it is not a ‘children’s book’ that excludes adult readers. In fact, adults who have not read the book should take the opportunity to do so.


Little Women is the story of four young girls Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy who grow into young women during the civil war. The girls are especially self sufficient for the times on their own with their mother. The novel focuses on their growing up and the loss of innocence at the death of Beth. Jo rejects the next door neighbor as a husband and he becomes Amy's husband.


Little Women was Alcott’s fourth book, the third that she published after the Civil War. It was her second piece of children’s literature, her first children’s novel being Flower Fables, which was written before the war.


Louisa May Alcott’s novel may have been a disappointing success to the author. However, to millions of people around the world it is a delightful novel of simplicity and family. It is a superb novel for adults to share with their children and a delightful retreat for adults who want to leave the 21st century for a few minutes or hours. Little Women is also an excellent first introduction to the world of Alcott’s writing.


Louisa May Alcott was an unusual woman during her lifetime. She was outspoken, a spinster, believed in women’s rights, was an abolitionist, and she single-handedly supported her family.


She wrote many books, especially in the adult genre, that are hailed today (by noted critics such as Madeleine B. Stern) as books that reveal Alcott as a complex, experimental writer whose work is worth study and exploration by both literary critics and psychoanalysts.
However, she is most well known for her books for children, her most popular book being Little Women.

Book: Been There, Done That

Author: David Bristow

Publisher: Random House


We are spoilt for choice in South Africa when it comes to places of leisure, but few of us can boast of taking maximum advantage of this diversity on our doorstep.


And maybe that’s because there is so much on offer, from fabulous beaches to mountain trails and parks, that it is hard to know where to begin.
Now David Bristow has made it all easy for us – and clearly has had fun doing so.


He has scoured all corners of this beautiful country, visiting our game reserves, mountain parks, biking trails, small towns etc. This is not a book rating the attractions, but it is a collection of personal tastes which are so wide-ranging that there is something for everyone to do.


The book is also the fulfillment of Bristow’s life-long mission to explore all that South Africa has to offer.


The entries, broken up into categories like Forests to Visit, Best Beaches, Cultural Icons and Love Nests, are brief but with enough detail to entice you to start your own travelogue.

Each entry is accompanied by a web link and two tick boxes: Been there, done that and On my wish-list. But even if you prefer armchair travelling, this visually impactful book will keep you entertained, and would also serve well as a coffee table book. - The Mercury