Four of Seven - Little Women

So my 200-word book-a-day challenge has been a little harder to stick to than I anticipated. I guess that's often the way with spontaneous resolutions; they seem like a great idea at the time, but we haven't thought through how we're going to keep them. Well, that's how it works for me anyway. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) I can't afford to get too slack on my resolutions, or come summer I'll still be unemployed and embarrassed to wear a swimsuit which, let's face it, wouldn't be fun. So if I seem a bit too persistent with this book week challenge, please forgive me -I'm using it to remind myself to be persistent in my other endeavours.

Speaking of persistence, today's book contains one of my favourite every characters: Jo, whose dream to write a book requires all her staying power for several years. When I first read this book (and the others in the series) Jo was my heroine, because unlike so many other 'artistic' characters I had come across, she had genuine flaws and struggles that I could relate to, and she inspired me to work hard at the things I loved, especially writing. It's amazing how much you can be influenced by a fictional character, and the ones I read about time and time again as a child are the ones who have stayed with me the strongest.

Today, I thought I'd try my hand at some acrostic jibber jabber (fool!) (Sorry about that)...

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Louisa May Alcott's story of the March family
Is set in New England during the Civil War.
Their father is away as a chaplain in the army, and they have very little money, but
The girls, Meg, Beth, Jo, and Amy, are raised by their mother to be charitable and
Live in contentment. They stage home theatricals, look after neighbours, and
Even give their Christmas meal away to a sick family.

When Beth contracts smallpox from a dying baby she is looking after, her
Own life is in danger as she is so weak. The sisters nurse her to health, and
Meg becomes engaged to the neighbour Laurie's tutor, John Brooke. Laurie, in turn,
Eventually realises he is in love with Jo, but she is too busy planning her novel to
Notice. Their father comes home from war, and the stage is set for the next book...