Rose In Bloom
Written by Louisa May Alcott
Reviewed by HP (age 11)
Rose in Bloom is a novel by Louisa May Alcott. Alcott wrote many works on home life of the 1900s, a few of her works included as follows: the famous Little Women, A Story of Experience, Flower Fables, Little Men, and Eight Cousins or the Aunt Hill. The publisher is Little Brown, and this book has 305 pages.
The story begins as Rose is coming home from her sea voyage around the world. Her aunts and cousins greet her. She is accompanied by Phebe her faithful servant turned friend. Later on, Archie falls in love with Phebe, but she is rejected among the family as a wife for Archie because she is a nobody's daughter. So, afraid of making waves she leaves to make a name for herself.
New years day roles around and Charlie announces that he loves Rose, but Rose refuses him. Though, Charlie tries to resist temptation to make Rose happy he accidentally goes straight into it. In his drunkenness he falls off a bridge and suffers internal injuries, unfortunately he dies. Sometime after Charlie's death Mac brings home an orphaned child, which his mother will not have in the house. So Rose takes the child into her care. Rose names the child Dulcinea, or Dulce for short.
Later on Mac announces that he loves Rose. Rose refuses once again, but Mac is determined to win her love he if it takes a lifetime. Mac soon leaves to get his diploma. He is gone longer than promised, and Uncle Alec goes to fetch him. While he is away he catches malignant fever, under the care of Phebe he recovers. Then, after he recovers, Mac, Phebe, and Uncle Alec return home safely. Archie is heavily rewarded when Phebe finally says yes. Rose finally falls in love with Mac, and they all live happy ever after. As if you didn't know!
I like this book because it reflects the human spirit, and instincts. Like when Charlie died everyone tried to be strong, but they ended up crying their eyes out, and when Mac said to Rose that he would make her love him, she resists as long as she can. It also puts the characters threw things we don't always want to deal with, but have to like death, and love. I think that this quality makes the book easier to relate to.
I would recommend this book to 4th grade and up because it deals with some serious things that younger kids can't understand.