148 Years Ago Today ...

Dust jacket 1965

A number of posts from various sources caught my eye this morning about the significance of this day 148 years ago. October 1st, 1868 was the date on which Louisa M. Alcott's classic novel Little Women was first published.

This revelation sent me off in search of my much-loved copy of this book, a Christmas present I received when I was eleven years old.

My edition was published in 1965, by Bancroft & Co. (Publishers) London, and except for the foxing around the edges of the pages is still in very good condition.

At some point in the last fifty years, the book and its dust jacket parted company, but I did find an image of it on the internet. Seeing it again brought back some wonderful memories and some sad ones of my last ever Christmas spent in England.

I've read all the sequels: Good Wives, Little Men and Jo's Boys, but Little Women will always be my favourite book about the March family.

Do you own a copy of Little Women? Have you read it and any of the sequels? Which is your favourite?

Frontispiece and title page