In the novel Little Women, Mr. March goes off to war. But in real life, it was Jo March (Louisa May Alcott herself, an avowed abolitionist) who traveled to Washington to nurse Northern soldiers. This is Alcott’s memoir but she chose to use the pseudonym “Tribulation Periwinkle” to tell her story.

Despite the subject matter, her account is full of amusing anecdotes as she makes her way alone from Concord, Massachusetts to DC, trying to finagle a free ticket and convinced she will drown during the journey. Profiles of the soldiers she tended are full of compassion, pathos, and even a bit of humor. The book was hugely popular among those at home eager for war news. Its publication introduced Alcott’s unique voice to the public and launched the career of a great American writer. Sharp-eared listeners will discover that the names and personalities of three soldiers were inspirations for characters in Little Women.