Edited by award-winning biographer Eve LaPlante, a collection of the letters and diaries of Louisa May Alcott's mother, Abigaila forward-thinking feminist whose advice and example profoundly shaped her famous daughter In this riveting compilation of Abigail May Alcott's previously undiscovered and unexplored private writings, biographer Eve LaPlante annotates the letters, poems, recipes, and diaries of the real-life inspiration behind "Marmee" of Little Women, one of the most famous mother figures in American literature. This companion volume to LaPlante's groundbreaking Marmee & Louisacovers everything from writing (Abigail's own ambitions as well as her daughter's) to family life and the expectations of society. Full of wit and charm, Abigail's private letters offer a moving, intimate portrait of a woman intellectually ahead of her time who found herself trapped in an unrewarding marriage and who would transfer her wisdom and ambition to her talented daughters, Louisa most of all. In beautiful prose (a biographer once pointed out that "In some ways, Abby was a better writer than her more famous daughter"), this fantastic new collection lays bare the unparalleled love that Abigail held for her family, in the process restoring a powerful female voice too long lost to history.