Book Review: An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott is most well-known for her book Little Women, and I didn't know she'd written one called An Old-Fashioned Girl till I saw it on my ninth-grade reading list.  I don't plan on reviewing ALL the books we read this year, but I thought this book was definitely relevant to this blog and is a good book for girls, so I thought I'd do a review on it.

So here's how it all goes down: Polly is a fourteen-year-old country girl who visits her friend Fanny in the city.  Fanny's family is rich and lives the luxurious city life, which is all very new for Polly.  Additionally, they seem to neglect the basic values she was brought up by.  Fanny has a terrible relationship with her parents and siblings, and she does things Polly just knows isn't right.  Even though she can't put her finger on it, she just knows it's wrong.  When Fanny takes her to do things like see a show or to meet her other rich, prissy friends, Polly feels very out of place.  Everyone thinks her to be "old-fashioned" and behind the times.  The rest of the book tells how Polly reforms Fanny and her family and brings them closer together, not to mention calling attention to things like trust, integrity, honor, and not growing up too fast.

The book ends when Polly is an adult.  It has a rather fairy-tale perfect ending - everything turns out well, everyone is happy and everyone gets married, etc.  I really enjoyed this book.  It's very entertaining to read, but it also has important lessons everyone needs to know.  As Christian girls, we are not called to be old-fashioned, but we are called to be different from the rest of the world.  We need to swim against the current, like Polly did.  I would suggest this book to any preteen/teen girl!

Recommended age: 9 and up