, by Louisa May Alcott. 
Little Women took place in New England during the Civil War. When the story begins, it is in the middle of a harsh winter which has left many families sick, hungry, and sometimes homeless. With all the men off fighting the war, women were left to fend for themselves and their families. Though the Marchs weren't necessarily in poverty, they were far from rich, as it was with many families during this time. Scarlet fever was spreading throughout the US at this time, also, infecting and killing children who were already weak because of the lack of food. Though many people like the Marchs gave what they could to families less fortunate than themselves, with how many people there were in need it was impossible to take care of them all, and many woman and children died during the blistering cold winters. This only added to the deaths of the men fighting for their country.
Another thing to look at is Jo's love of writing fantasy and how she hopes to be a published author someday. And not for some women's magazine - she wanted to publish a novel that wasn't woman-directed. Women didn't write novels like that back then. It was an absurd thought. At first, when writing for a newspaper, she would use the male form of her name - Joe - to get her work printed. Women wrote fluffly dime novels for other women to enjoy. Jo knew this, yet her desire to beat the odds drove her forward, and she eventually was able to publish her novel.
During the Civil War, times were very hard. But the March sisters managed to find a little joy in everything and push on through the turmoil - leaving a great example for people today.
Well, the first book I read after my last post was 
, by Kathi Macias. This book was a wonderful read about missionary work. It has powerful lessons in it - as do all of Kathi's books - and won't leave you the same.
I became a fan of Sibella Giorella after reading her book, 
. Wow! What a story. It is unlike other suspense/mystery books I've read and I really liked it. I am looking forward to more books from Sibella in the near future! You can read my review of this book 
This book - 
by Marcia Gruver- is from another new author I had not know about previously. She did a good job with the story, adding a few twists and turns to the adventure, that made it a fun read. If you would like to read my review of this book, you can do so 
What a story 
by Tosca Lee held! While there are many warnings I must give as to what maturity level the reader should be when reading this book - I was captivated by this story. The way Tosca wrote this just grabs your attention and doesn't release it till the end. But, as I said, there are a few cautions I must give to this book. Read Book Ponderings review of this book 
I have heard a lot about this book and the author - 
by MaryLu Tyndall. I gave it 3 stars for a few reasons. While it was a great adventure with pirates, shipwrecks, sickness, etc...I felt like the romance was a bit pushy and forced. I think if you took the romance out of the story, it would've still made a great book. That's what I mean - I felt like the romance was forced to fit into the story, instead of the story and the romance being interwoven together. But all in all, I thought it was a good story and will try a book by Tyndall again.
by his daughter, Jasmine Baucham. It was a wonderful read, answering many questions young ladies might have. If you are having struggles as you get older and are trying to be content to stay at home until God sends you your Knight-in-Shining-Armor, this is just the book for you! ;-)
Finally, I just finished 
by Donita Paul a few days ago. I am not a big fantasy fan, so this book didn't appeal to me as it might have had I loved fantasy. The book was well written, though it moved rather slowly for the first 100 pages or so. To read my review of this book, go 
