Rose in Bloom - Brief Article - Young Adult Review - Audiobook Review

Louisa May Alcott. 1876/2002. Read by Barbara Caruso. 7 tapes. 10 hrs. Recorded Books. 1-4025-2725-X. $63.00. Vinyl; content, reader notes. JSA

This fictional glimpse into 19th-century Boston society life was first published in 1876, when the United States was 100 years old. Alcott (1832-1888) was already famous for Little Women and other tales of young people coming of age in New England. Rose in Bloom, the sequel to Eight Cousins. presents us with typical Alcott themes and characters. Feisty young women struggle for independence and reject unwholesome fashions. Impetuous young men try to win these damsels' hearts. Rose Campbell, a beautiful, kind, and wealthy young woman, arrives in Boston after two years abroad, and gets a warm welcome from her seven male cousins. It's partly expected that she will marry one of them, but which one?

Caruso, expert and acclaimed audiobook narrator, reads in well-modulated tones perfectly suited to this Victorian tale. The pathos and drama of the plot are conveyed with warmth and sensitivity, and you can practically see a friendly smile on Caruso's face. Teachers or parents may want to explain that some words and expressions have changed in connotation since the book's publication: for example, today we'd say that a teenage couple was "flirting" on the dance floor, rather than "making love." Linguistic hurdles aside, the story still retains freshness and energy. and this fine performance deserves a prominent place on the shelf of quintessentially American classics. Helen Elizabeth Woodman, Andover, NH

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