Rose in Bloom – Book Recommendation

“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.” – Jo March?

Louisa May Alcott is most famous for her timeless novel Little Women. In the Little Women 2019 movie adaptation, Jo March boldly states the above quote to Marmee. But did you know that famous line isn’t actually in the Little Women book?

This iconic phrase is taken from another of Alcott’s masterpieces, Rose in Bloom, which was published in 1876. In this book, the protagonist, Rose Campbell, says the following: “…we’ve got minds and souls as well as hearts; ambition and talents as well as beauty and accomplishments; and we want to live and learn as well as love and be loved. I’m sick of being told that is all a woman is fit for! I won’t have anything to do with love till I prove that I am something besides a housekeeper and baby-tender!”

This strongly voiced quote shows Alcott was a strong advocate for women’s rights and this shines through in her writing. Her views were particularly bold for her time, which makes her works stand out even more today. Whether you’re a feminist or not, Rose in Bloom is an incredible story and here are some of the reasons why I love it. I hope by the end of this post you will be convinced to read it.

Perfect Sequel

This story begins in the first book Eight Cousins. I highly recommend reading that book first in order to fully enjoy the sequel. In the first book we are introduced to Rose Campbell, a girl who is orphaned and sent to live with her aunts. Upon arrival, she discovers she has seven cousins, all boys. We follow her story as she learns valuable life lessons, has adventures with her lively and vastly different cousins, and learns the importance of family.

Rose in Bloom picks up the story after Rose has grown up, travelled the world, and returns home to pursue her dreams of becoming an independent philanthropist. Her return thrusts her into the whirlwind of life, family, and society. Her seven cousins have all grown up as well, and this adds new drama and intrigue as the story progresses.

As an heiress to her father’s fortune, she discovers what it means to be valued for herself, not just her money, and learns to treasure the opinion of those who actually matter. She learns the importance of making wise life choices, endures grief, discovers love, and finally grows into herself as a person. The ending leaves you with that satisfied sigh and the horrid realization that the book has come to an end all too soon.

Favorite Tropes

Rose in Bloom has many of the popular tropes in the market today with what I believe to be one key difference: soul. It’s not just a feel-good, fluffy story, it has that old fashioned cozy charm with some valuable life lessons in it as well.

Some tropes in this story are:

• Coming of age – As Rose learns what’s important in life and chooses the kind of person she will grow up to be.
• Strong female lead – If you hadn’t figured this out yet, read that quote in the beginning again. This is a great book for those who love their strong female leads.
• Found family – Technically, they all are real family, but the family theme is strong within this duology. And, if you take into account the side plot (which is worth it) then it definitely falls into the found family category.
• Romance – Rose faces the admiration of multiple suitors throughout the story. One suitor’s admiration drives the first half of the story, while another drives the second half, even though he was introduced early on.
• Moral lessons – I love how throughout the book there are strong values taught. Rose constantly faces the choice between right and wrong, although it does not come across as preachy, so don’t worry. This book explores values like honesty, generosity, humility, and even sacrificial love.
• Social commentary – As many of Alcott’s works, this book contains commentary on many social issues of the day. If that is something you enjoy, you will love this book. And if social commentary isn’t your thing, the rest of the plot will make you forget Alcott is even expressing her opinions throughout. The plot can carry itself in a wondrous way.

Memorable Moments

This book has remained one of my favorites for many reasons. Amongst them are the humor (like Mac sitting on the side of a road, having suddenly been saddled with a baby), the family aspect of the story and the incredible values shared across the pages. Some things I particularly enjoyed in the book are:

• Contrasts – It’s interesting to see how everyone’s choices led them to become the adult version of themselves. This is especially true with Rose, Phoebe, and all the cousins, most noteworthy amongst them (in my mind) being Charlie, Mac, and Archie. We get the contrast of everyone’s choices and I believe that is what drives the themes of the story home.
• Growth – The character development for Rose is greatly done. And not just for her, but for her entire family as well. We see who each person grows into and how powerful each individual’s choices are.
• Love – Yes, there’s romance. Yet the way that it is portrayed is wholesome and a refreshing contrast to much of today’s modern literature. I particularly enjoy how Rose grows into love and doesn’t just fall in love. Her love for — (I’m not giving any spoilers here) wasn’t just an emotion, or the excitement of the moment. It was something solid that had time to be tried and tested. I enjoyed seeing how she grew room for this person and learned to love and appreciate him for who he was.

Rose in Bloom is a book well worth reading in your favorite cozy spot. I heartily recommend it if you are looking for something that has the same classic charm as Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. For better enjoyment, I would recommend you start with Eight Cousins and then continue the story with the sequel, Rose in Bloom. These classics are worth it!

Until next time,
Anna

Rose in Bloom Content Warnings:

• Mention of drinking, brief drunkenness
• Loss
• Romance (clean, brief kisses)

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Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash