Aunt Jo's Scrap Bag, Volume 2 Shawl-Straps

"Aunt Jo's Scrap Bag, Volume 2" by Louisa May Alcott is a collection of travel writings and humorous sketches written in the late 19th century. The work details the journey of three women, Amanda, Matilda, and Lavinia, as they set off from Boston to explore Europe, particularly their experiences aboard a ship and travels through France. Alcott captures the adventures, mishaps, and candid reactions of the characters, encapsulating themes of camaraderie, independence, and the joys and trials of exploration." "The opening of the book begins with Amanda enthusiastically planning a trip from Boston to Messina on a fruit ship, which quickly evolves into a series of humorous exchanges revealing the differing attitudes of her companions—Matilda, who is eager for adventure, and Lavinia, who is apprehensive and often unwell. Despite Lavinia's reluctance, the group is buoyed by support from their friends and family. Ultimately, they find themselves on a ship, enduring the challenges of seasickness while amusingly navigating the chaos of travel preparations and experiences, setting the stage for their unfolding adventures in Europe." (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known for writing the novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871), and Jo's Boys (1886). Raised in New England by her transcendentalist parents, Abigail May and Amos Bronson Alcott, she grew up among many well-known intellectuals of the day, including Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau. Encouraged by her family, Louisa began writing from an early age.