Resumo de Good Wives - Louisa May Alcott

'Good Wives' is the (first) sequel to 'Little Women' (see my abstract 21 January 2007). The first book closed with Meg, the eldest of four sisters, becoming unofficially engaged to John Brooke, a poor but worthy young man employed as a tutor to the young man from the big house next door 'Laurie'. Mr March has returned wounded from the American Civil War, where he served as a chaplain to the Federal Army, Beth has come through a life-threatening illness, and each of the four sisters has come through various experiences as part of growing up.

The opening scene of the book shows that we have moved on two or three years and Meg and John are about to be married. The ceremony is simple, but charming and takes place in the family home, with Mr March officiating. Right from the start we see again the emphasis on simple adn homely virtues, as opposed to wealth and social position, which was such a feature of the first book. Once the wedding is over, teh book continues with various episodes from the sisters' lives. Meg discovers, not without heartache, that married life is not always easy, but ultimately reaches a deeper understanding with her hard-working and upright husband, following the birth ofhte twins, Daisy & Demi. Jo finds, to her dismay,that her unguarded words and insistence upon speaking her mind, results in her missing an extended trip to Europe, when her aunt decides to ask the youngest daughter Amy instead, feeling that she will be a more amenable companion. The first part of the book is enlivened by Amy's letters home. Then Jo faces a further complication when she begins to suspect that the longstanding friendship and camaraderie with Laurie is changing, on his side, to feelings which are unwelcome to Jo. As a result, she decides to go away to act as governess and companion to the children of a friend of her mother's and again the immediacy of the subsequent events is illustrated by her letters home.

What of Beth? Well, shy, stay-at-home Beth is not in fact completely recovered after all. Despite all the care of her parents and sister, and the companionship of Jo, who makes money by her writing to take Beth on holiday, she slowly becomes weaker.Jo comes home to devote her whole time to Beth, and, in the process, decides once and for all that she and Laurie are not suited as life partners. Laurie takes thisvery badly and, having completed his college course,leaves for a tour of Europe, accompanied by his grandfather. There he meets up with Amy, who is having her own interesting romantic experiences.

Jo has however made another friend, Professor Bhaer, a German immigrant who lodged at the house where Jo was governess. Although consderably her senior, the two become great friends and Professor Bhaer helps Jo to see that in writing what was at the time known as 'sensational literature' she is neither using her talent as a writer properly, nor behaving in a becoming manner. When Jo leaves to return home, Professor Bhaer at first suggested that he visit her, but was put off by Jo's references to Laurie (whom he takes to be her intended husband).

Whilst we may suspect Jo of harbouring affectionate thoughts for her Professor, this is put out of her mind by Beth's approaching death, which is a most touching and, by modern standards, slightly sentimental scene. Amy is of course still in European and cannot be reached in time to return to say goodbye to her sister. She therefore continues her tour, saddened and lonely. At this point Laurie returns to her side, and before long he realises that Amy is the only woman who can take Jo's place in his heart. Amy in turn realises that he is the man for her.

In due course the lovers return home and anounce that they have in fact married abroad. Jo and Laurie make their peace and at the same time, who should turn up but Professor Bhaer, who is suspiciously delighted to find that is it Amy who has married Laurie and not Jo. A period follows where Professor Bhaer calls oarch and discuss philosophy, but in reality to see Jo.On a trip to the city on a very rainy day, Jo meets him by chance and learns that he has accepted a post at a college the other side of America. It is in her despair at the thought of not seeing him again that he finds the courage to propose adn is accepted. Themystery of how he came to visit her in the first place is also solved.

All is not plain sailing however as they have no money to make a home and in addition Professor Bhaer is under an obligation to his dead sister to bring up her two sons. Bringing the story swiftly to a close, however, we lean that, after a year, Jo's great-aunt (to whom she once acted as companion) has died and left her a large house and grounds in thecity outskirts. Jo and her Professor can therefore marry and open the house as a school.

As with the first volume, 'Good Wives' has a timeless quality which draws the present-day reader (150 years later) into the joys and sorrows of this family of girls.

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