The letters, are chiefly from the Alcott-Pratt collection of the Harvard College Library.

In June of 1843, Bronson Alcott and Charles Lane, both reformers involved in the Transcendentalist movement, founded Fruitlands in an attempt to strengthen their spirituality through self-reliant, simple living. Joinmed by their families and about a dozen other individuals, the Con-Sociate family (as they called themselves) was to bring about a new Eden by cultivating a mystical and scetic way of life in a rural retreat. Compiling, in their own words, from letters, diaries, and books, and from the comments of friends and associates such as Emerson and Thoreau, Clara Endicott Sears, founder of Fruitlands Museum, tells the story of this famous encounter of transcendental philosophy with the realities of the New England soil and climate and the vagaries of human nature. Louisa May Alcott's classic satire based on her father's experiment, "Transcendental Wild Oats," completes the picture of a noble failure.

Bronson Alcott's Fruitlands by Louisa May Alcott and Clara Endicott Sears: The Utopian Experiment of Fruitlands and the Alcott Family's Idealistic Pursuits: Bronson Alcott's Fruitlands, Louisa May Alcott and Clara Endicott Sears shed light on the remarkable utopian experiment undertaken by the Alcott family in Fruitlands. This insightful book provides a fascinating exploration of the family's idealistic pursuits, their commitment to a self-sufficient lifestyle, and the challenges they faced in their quest for a harmonious, idyllic existence. Key Aspects of the Book "Bronson Alcott's Fruitlands": Utopian Idealism: Delve into the vision and philosophy behind the Fruitlands experiment, where the Alcott family strived to create a utopian society rooted in simplicity, communal living, and ethical principles. Family Dynamics: Gain a deeper understanding of the Alcott family, particularly Bronson Alcott, the renowned philosopher, and his daughters, including Louisa May Alcott, who later achieved fame as an author. Challenges and Lessons: Explore the challenges faced by the Alcotts, from practical difficulties of self-sufficiency to philosophical conflicts, and discover the valuable lessons that emerged from their experiences. Louisa May Alcott, a beloved American author known for her novel "Little Women," and Clara Endicott Sears, an accomplished writer and historian, collaborated to bring to life the intriguing story of Fruitlands and the Alcott family's pursuit of a utopian ideal. Louisa May Alcott's personal connection to the Alcott family, coupled with Clara Endicott Sears' research and writing expertise, resulted in this captivating account of the Fruitlands experiment.

With its abundant history of prominent families, Massachusetts boasts some of the most historically rich residences in the country. In the eastern half of the Commonwealth, these include Presidents John and John Quincy Adams's home in Quincy, Bronson and Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House in Concord, the Charles Bulfinch—designed Harrison Gray Otis House in Boston, and Edward Gorey's Elephant House in Yarmouth Port. In At Home: Historic Houses of Eastern Massachusetts, Beth Luey uses architectural and genealogical texts, wills, correspondences, and diaries to craft delightful narratives of these notable abodes and the people who variously built, acquired, or renovated them. Filled with vivid details and fresh perspectives that will surprise even the most knowledgeable aficionados, each chapter is short enough to serve as an introduction for a visit to its house. All the homes are open to the public.

Pulitzer Prize–winning author John Matteson illuminates three harrowing months of the Civil War and their enduring legacy for America. December 1862 drove the United States toward a breaking point. The Battle of Fredericksburg shattered Union forces and Northern confidence. As Abraham Lincoln’s government threatened to fracture, this critical moment also tested five extraordinary individuals whose lives reflect the soul of a nation. The changes they underwent led to profound repercussions in the country’s law, literature, politics, and popular mythology. Taken together, their stories offer a striking restatement of what it means to be American. Guided by patriotism, driven by desire, all five moved toward singular destinies. A young Harvard intellectual steeped in courageous ideals, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. confronted grave challenges to his concept of duty. The one-eyed army chaplain Arthur Fuller pitted his frail body against the evils of slavery. Walt Whitman, a gay Brooklyn poet condemned by the guardians of propriety, and Louisa May Alcott, a struggling writer seeking an authentic voice and her father’s admiration, tended soldiers’ wracked bodies as nurses. On the other side of the national schism, John Pelham, a West Point cadet from Alabama, achieved a unique excellence in artillery tactics as he served a doomed and misbegotten cause. A Worse Place Than Hell brings together the prodigious forces of war with the intimacy of individual lives. Matteson interweaves the historic and the personal in a work as beautiful as it is powerful.

Alcott returned to New England with two of Greaves' followers, and with his family and Charles Lane set up the short-lived experiment in communal living, Fruitlands. Alcott House, meanwhile, suffered from internal conflict and the community expired in 1848."--BOOK JACKET.