Jo's Boys, and How They Turned Out: A Sequel to "Little Men" is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott, first published in 1886. The novel is the final book in the unofficial Little Women series. In it, Jo's children, now grown, are caught up in real world troubles.
 Cover and spine, 1887 edition | |
| Author | Louisa May Alcott |
|---|---|
| Country | United States of America |
| Language | English |
| Series | Little Women |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Roberts Brothers |
Publication date | 1886 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 375 (First edition) |
| Preceded by | Little Men |
Plot edit
The book describes life at Plumfield, Jo and Professor Bhaer's home where they run an academy, ten years after Little Men. Tom, one of the original Plumfield students, is so in love with another Plumfield student, Nan, that he has enrolled in medical school to follow her despite having no personal interest in medicine. Nan is clear that she wants to stay single and focus on her career.
Jo has earned plenty of money and notoriety publishing her stories, but is tired of the constant visits and letters from fans who expect someone different than she is. After an exasperating surprise visit from a group of fans, Dan, another original Plumfield student shows up on a visit from California. The Plumfield residents are fascinated by his wild personality and rugged good looks. A dance is held at Parnassus, the home of Amy and Laurie's family before Dan goes off to try farming and Professor Bhaer's adopted son Emil goes back to sea.
The Lawrences then take Meg's youngest daughter Josie along on a vacation at the beach, where she discovers her idol Miss Cameron is staying next door. After biding her time, Josie earns an invitation to visit and receives advice from the actress. Back at Plumfield, Tom confides in Mrs Jo that in his efforts to impress Nan, he "accidentally" proposed to a girl named Dora, but he finds he is happier with her and quits medicine to join his family's business. Meanwhile, Demi shares with his mother, Meg, that after trying so many professions, he wants to go into publishing.
The story jumps to Emil, who is promoted after his hard work as a sailor. On his first voyage as second mate, he gets a chance to show his true strength when they are shipwrecked and the captain becomes badly injured. He later marries the captain's daughter. In Dan's travels out west, he ends up killing a man in self-defense, which is the one sin he and Jo always feared he would commit. He is sentenced to a year in prison with hard labor and avoids telling anyone out of shame, only sending short postcards home. After his release, he plans to recover his strength before revisiting Plumfield.
Nat begins a musical career in Europe, nearly goes into debt, and refocuses on his studies. Back at Plumfield, Jo produces a play focusing on a mother as the hero of the story. Another production poses the residents of Plumfield as classic gods and goddesses. After Laurie's comments on Jo as Juno she resolves to be a better wife to Professor Bhaer. Miss Cameron attends the event and compliments Josie's acting. Later, at the March sisters' sewing circle, they and the female students discuss their futures and the expanding opportunities for single women. At Class Day, Demi and Josie conspire to find out whether Alice Heath has feelings for Demi, and they settle on sending her three roses in various levels of bloom and asking her to wear one according to her feelings. Alice decides to wear all three, confirming their engagement.
News of Dan's injury saving men from a mining accident comes by way of a newspaper and Laurie brings him back to Plumfield for recovery. Josie and Bess, Amy's young daughter, try to keep him entertained. Jo discovers Dan is in love with Bess and gently advises him not to act on it. The book ends by summarizing that all the marriages go well and Bess and Josie find success in the arts. Nan remains happily single and dedicated to her work and Dan dies defending the Native Americans he lives among. Demi finds success in publishing and Jo's son Ted becomes a clergyman. The author writes that this is the end of the March family's story.
Composition and publication history edit
Louisa May Alcott wrote the novel while living at the Thoreau-Alcott House on Main Street in Concord, Massachusetts. She bought the home for her sister Anna Alcott Pratt in 1877, though she moved in as well in the 1880s.[1]
Adaptation edit
Nan is the focus of Japanese animated television series Little Women II: Jo's Boys (Wakakusa Monogatari Nan to Jou Sensei). Additionally, Little Men (1940 film) is loosely based on Jo’s Boys.
References edit
- ^ Ehrlich, Eugene and Gorton Carruth. The Oxford Illustrated Literary Guide to the United States. New York: Oxford University Press, 1982: 45. ISBN 0-19-503186-5
External links edit
- Jo's Boys at Project Gutenberg
Jo's Boys public domain audiobook at LibriVox
