Good evening and welcome to The Sleepy Bookshelf.

This season we are reading a selection of short, Christmassy stories by Louisa May Alcott,

all published between 1868 and 1872, exclusive for our premium listeners true to form these stories are full of charm

tradition and family and a sure to put you into that Christmas spirit.

Louisa May Alcott was a prolific American author,

born and raised in New England,

best known for her novel, Little Women, from 1868,

which we have read here on the Sleepy Bookshelf,

and its sequels, Good Wives, Little Men, and Joe's Boys.

Alcott's family were never well-off,

and she took to writing at a young age to help support them.

She was an abolitionist and feminist, who remained unmarried, but did raise her niece on her sister's death for the last eight years of her life.

Finally, Louisa died of a stroke and was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in 1888.

We know our listeners are as unique as our novels and lucky for you. Our bookshelf is varied with lots of

different types of stories to lull you into a deep sleep.

The following is a preview to give you an idea of what to expect from this season.

We will be reading three short stories.

The quiet little woman... We will be reading three short stories. The Quiet Little Woman, first published in 1872,

in which a little orphan girl named Patty's dreams of a family finally come true with the wonder of Christmas.

Rosa's tale from the same year about an old horse who is given the magic ability to speak one Christmas Eve.

And finally, a Christmas dream and how it came to be true, first published in 1885, which has been described as a Christmas carol for children, and is about 10-year-old Effie, who is awoken to her privilege on Christmas.

Our premium subscription offers additional stories to choose from between the seasons on the

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