Home > Author > Anne Boyd Rioux
1 " And if boys enjoy books about aliens, which they certainly do, why not also books about girls? "
― Anne Boyd Rioux , Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters
2 " The best stories, however, are living things, and as much as we may cherish the original, the true act of love comes in the retelling. "
― Anne Boyd Rioux
3 " What seems like a tale from a simpler time turns out to be the product of a difficult and sometimes troubled life. What appears to be a sweet, light story of four girls growing up is also very much about how hard it was (and is) to come of age in a culture that prizes a woman’s appearance over her substance. And what may seem an idealized portrait of an intact home and family is also the story of a family in danger of being torn apart. "
4 " As girls gravitate to more contemporary fare and away from Little Women, they are missing a lot. Today’s successors to Little Women seem to have overlooked two of the most important themes of Alcott’s classic: companionate marriage and sisterhood. And many of them are missing the central premise altogether, namely that growing up means becoming a better person, one who can balance her own needs and desires with those of the people she loves. "
5 " It is ironic, really, that the girl who didn’t want to be a girl has been one of the most popular literary heroines of all time. Her popularity speaks volumes about the deeply unsettled feelings that girls of all backgrounds have felt as they approached the restrictions of womanhood. "
6 " Although ostensibly about Elsa's inability to continue hiding her fearful power of freezing everything she touches, the song is really about growing up, breaking free of authority, and accepting yourself. "
