Disclaimer: I only read the title story.

Alcott's other personalities seep into this one. You can't read about Di, Nan, and Laura without imposing characteristics from Little Women, Eight Cousins, and An Old-fashioned Girl. It isn't literature, makes you think of Jo's(aka LMA's) newspaper stories that put bread on the table. But no one does engagements better than Louisa, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and Jane Austen--at least in my opinion. ( )

The four stories in this collection differ greatly from one another in tone and subject matter.

The title story didn't appeal to me all that much, as the experimental style didn't suit my taste. At times I was quite confused as to what was happening.

The tale features three sisters who live with their father. The oldest sister takes on the role mother, doing most of the household chores, thus she is the modern Cinderella.

Her younger sisters are in their late teens and do little to help out until she suffers from exhaustion and becomes bedridden. The teens aren't in the wicked stepsister mould but that's who they represent - "idle sisters" would be more apt.

Two stars for this one.

"Nelly's Hospital" is a children's story. Because of this I was tempted to skip it, but I have such respect for Ms Alcott's writing abilities that I gave it a go. I enjoyed this more than the title story.

Nelly is a girl of, I assume, nine or ten. She has a friend called Tony who's twelve and I get the impression Nelly's a bit younger than him.

Anyway, after the girl's soldier brother is wounded, she is inspired to start her own hospital - for small animals and insects. She and Tony clear a space to house the 'patients' and the following day Nelly goes into the garden to find injured creatures.

Three stars for this tale.

"The Brothers" is the most serious story of the four.

A lady who's previously had the pox agrees to look after an injured rebel soldier, aided by a man recently released from slavery (his mother was black; his father white). Can't say much more without giving the plot away, but it's quite a sombre tale.

Three stars for this.

In contrast, "Debby's Debut" is a light-hearted story, featuring eighteen-year-old Debby - aka Dora - on holiday and under her aunt's wing. Her aunt is the epitome of Victorian prudery, fussing all the time about appearances, and is careful with whom her niece should or should not keep company with.

Debby, although respectful of her aunt's ideals, has a mind of her own. She's not rebellious but she is an independent thinker, good-natured, and cares little if her hair is out of place when she's having fun. Nor does it bother her to be seen having bread and milk to eat in public - this is an embarrassment as far as the pedantic aunt is concerned.

Two men fall in love with Debby, adding further interest to the tale.

So four stars for this enjoyable story with its humour and romantic interludes. ( )