A Garland for Girls

These seven stories bloom from an unexpected source: Louisa May Alcott writing for her own delight during a period of forced stillness. Each tale is a flower, its petals holding a young woman's character and approach to life. The book opens with the Mayflower Club, six Boston girls who reunite after summer with lively chatter and earnest resolutions to help those less fortunate. But these are not preachy tales of charity. Alcott, whose father moved in transcendentalist circles with Emerson and Thoreau, finds poetry in work, even humble work, when done with love. The girls debate the meaning of giving, struggle with the gap between intention and action, and discover that growing up means more than fulfilling society's expectations. These stories grip, move, and linger, leaving readers wanting to start again from the first page. And though the title says "for girls," the Italian edition rightly notes: this book has much to teach men, too.