Hello again, everyone. Cissarose is back, and this month did send me into a bit of a fluster; after speaking to my sisters, I was able to find a book. This month is all about heroes! A little-known fact outside the Appleblossom hobbit hole is that I am a writer at heart.
So, based on that, my hero... heroine... is Jo March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Jo is a writer and the second oldest of the March girls, Meg being the oldest and Beth and Amy the younger two. Jo is a tomboy and loves to act like a boy at times. She has a habit of leaning against fireplaces and burning her dresses. I have to admit that is something I could see myself doing if I'm not careful. I also love writing a lot.
The story starts around Christmas, and Jo is with her sisters discussing what they'd get with the money their Marmee will give them. Marmee is what they call their mother. Their father is away as a chaplain in the American Civil War and I cannot begin to imagine what that must have been like for Jo. My father has always been around for me and my sisters. It must have been so hard, and Jo herself says that it's hard, longing to have her father back.
One night in particular that I sympathised with Jo was the night she and Meg went to a play with Laurie, the young man who lived next door with his Grandfather. Amy, the youngest March daughter, wanted to go with Jo and Meg even though she was going to be seeing it the next weekend. Jo and Amy had a disagreement and Amy vowed that Jo would be sorry for what she said. I should point out that Amy could be viewed as spoiled and a little conceited in some ways, but that's a story for another day. Anyway, the whole time Jo is out watching the play, she cannot shake the feeling that something isn't right and it does annoy her. I can relate to that on so many levels, as Brielle and Ellieanna can sometimes move my notebook without meaning to.
What Amy did, however, was something far, far worse, and my heart ached for Jo so much. Whilst Jo was at the play, Amy found Jo's manuscript of stories that Jo had been working on for seven years. Jo arrives home and soon discovers what her sister has done. If my sisters had done it by accident, I would be able to forgive them, but Amy did it out of spite and revenge. That is what Jo is upset about a lot. On top of that, she had no other copies of the manuscript, so she was devastated at the loss. As a writer myself, I can understand how much hard work and many late nights must have gone into those stories. The loss was devastating for Jo. I will say that she did forgive Amy eventually... the next day.
Jo is my heroine because she never gives up despite her situation. She always shows kindness to others, like the poor Hummel family, whilst trying to remain positive for herself and her sisters. She aspires to become a published author, which was hard for women in those times, and she stays true to who she is. That is something I admire because it can't be easy, and she is only fifteen at the start of the story. I cannot wait to reread and finish the book to see how my heroine's story plays out all over again.
Briellerose should be back next month if she doesn't get caught up in things.
Lots of love,
Cissarosse xx
