Early work by Little Women author Louisa May Alcott to be published after 171 years
‘Aunt Nellie’s Diary’ was written when Alcott was just 17 years old
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A lost early work by Little Women author Louisa May Alcott is finally set to be published.
The story, titled “Aunt Nellie’s Diary”, was written when Alcott was just 17 and was never finished.
US literary magazine The Strand is seeking writers to complete the story. It has described the 44-page manuscript as containing “sharp psychological insight”.
“Aunt Nellie’s Diary” is written from the point of view of an unmarried woman who is responsible for the care of her teenaged niece.
The work was written in 1849 and is roughly 9,000 words long, consisting of nine separate diary entries.
Beginning with the narrator’s 40th birthday, the story ends with an account of “a sunny midsummer day spent among the woods and hills”, followed by “merry dances” at a costume ball.
Little Women, Alcott’s best-loved and most famous work, was adapted into an Oscar-winning film last year, starring Saoirse Ronan, Timothee Chalamet and Florence Pugh.
“Aunt Nellie’s Diary” currently forms part of a collection of Alcott’s papers in the Houghton Library at Harvard University.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments