An Old-Fashioned Girl

by Louisa May Alcott

Book Overview

Another coming-of-age novel from the author of beloved favorite Little Women Polly Milton never questions the way she is--until she goes to visit her cousins in the city. Her cousin Fanny looks too... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140374493
• ISBN13: 9780140374490
• Release Date: November 1996
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

Simple Good Clean fun

Do you ever feel like you are tied up in our times? Worrying too much about cell phones, fashions, and the latest whatevers? This book can set you straight. It gives you a peace of mind and fills you with simple pleasures. The stories main character, Polly, we meet at the age of 14. She has come to stay with rich friends for a while. THey do everything so differently from she. The family has two daughters. One that is two years older than Polly called Fan, who cares for fashion, balls, and beaus. The author daughter is six and she is fixed onoo having her own way about everything. THe young man in the family Tom is a trouble maker, who no matter how hard he tries can't seem to stay out of trouble very long. Polly is a gentle, kind, loving, caring, selfless, practical, and sensible girl. SHe becomes a great service to this family, touching each of them in a special way. She moves in the same town six years later and gives piano lessons. The family needs her more than ever and she helps them all in the end. This book has heart, romance, and realness to it that we can all relate to, rich or poor, young or old. It will make you feel warm fuzzies. Read on a rainy day underneath a flanel blanket!

My Favorite of her work

I have owned all her works and this is my favorite. Even though it was written in the 1800's, it still has sound judgements. Riches can come and go, but how you live your life and how you influence others with your care, love and concern mean the most. Polly has her own struggles with life's lessons but with help from older women and remembering what her parents, especially her mother, taught her, she struggles through.The beginning of the book finds her a young teenage friend of Fan Shaw who had come down to the country the year before visiting some friends of the family. There is Fan, 2yrs older, Tom who is Polly's age, Maude the little sister of about 6, Mrs. Shaw an invailid and Mr. Shaw a man of wealth, plus Madame who is Mr. Shaw's Mother. At the end, Polly and her friends are all adults except Maud who is a teenager. Fan learns a lot from Polly and Polly learns from all who come into her life. It is a Must read in my opinion for any girl or woman.

A book to treasure

I'm 15 and you can call me a little bit old fashioned in my ways. I read an old fashioned girl for the first time when i was 11 and since then ive been reading the book at least 4 times a year.My copy of an old fashioned girl is sacred to me. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about a girl living in totally different times but who is really similar to us nowadays even is she is a little old fashioned! This book is good for any one of any age anywhere who wants to have someone to admire and someone to look up to. Polly is indeed, the perfect girl. As to Fanny and Tom they make the book livelier and funner to read, you'll never get bored with this book in your reach!

I'm proud to be and Old Fashioned Girl

I'm 17 years old. When I was about 5 or 6 my mom read An Old Fashioned Girl to me for the first time. From that point on that book was like a guide book for my life. I admired Polly's simple ways, and longed to be like her. When I was younger I would pretend that I was Polly, dressing up and play acting with my dolls. As I grew older though, she became more and more of a "kindred spirit". Polly's character has really helped in molding the person I am today. I have read the book probably 10-12 times since I was 10. My paper back copy is missing pages and well loved. I recomend this wonderful book to anyone (including boys-my brothers loved Tom!). And hope that they will enjoy it as much as I have.

The poignant story of an "old-fashioned girl."

I am 18 and have read this book at least 30 times. Its simplicity and reality seem to reach into my soul and I seem to have found a "kindred spirit" in the heroine. No other fictitious character has ever moved me as has Polly, an old-fashioned girl. A country girl named Polly is visiting city friends and comes to realize that this world is quite different than which she has left. Here people are judged according to their dress and manner of speech rather than for their honesty and hardwork. Yet all who meet Polly cannot help but be enamored of her; her sweet simplicity is unlike any that they have ever seen, and soon everyone comes to realize that Polly is not someone to be laughed at and ridiculed, but someone to put upon a pedistal for failing to become willing prey to the cynicism of the times. Polly is the most understanding and genuine character I have ever read about. Her love for others and her unwillingness to lower her standards and morals for popularity are an inspiration to people of all ages and prove that nothing is wrong with being "an old fashioned girl."