Louisa May Alcott

Jo's Boys

From the Original Publisher

𝚕𝚒𝚕𝚢

4 ★ - (enjoyed it a lot/really liked it)

Christine

** spoiler alert **
           agh come on it was a great book except I got so mad over Mrs. Meg's unwillingness to let Daisy go (!!!!) and a couple of other trifles (I also REALLY didn't like what happened to Dan afterwards)
and idek but the chronology is somewhat messed up for me in here years and days are plain confusing
...................otherwise it was a good read (yes I really did read it 3 or 4 times)

The Third Book in the Little Women Series by Louisa May Alcott "Better lose your life than your soul..." — Louisa May Alcott, Jo's Boys Jo's Boys is one of a series of books by Louisa May Alcott. Jo's Boys is a continuation of Little Men. It takes place ten years after Little Men. Jo's Boys is about the Plumfield boys and where their life has gone and the people around them. This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This eBook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it. Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes

Maybe I'm just a heathen but this was a little too preachy and moral in between cute interludes for my tastes

Francesca

Ten years after the school at Plumfield was founded, Jo's boys--including wanderer Dan, sailor Emil and musician Nat--are grown up and discovering more about the world. But life after childhood can be confusing and frightening, and it is Jo and the warm-hearted March family who can comfort and guide the boys when they need it most.

Jaclyn Graybill

I am left nearly speechless once again at Alcott's ability to tie up a story so beautifully yet frustratingly simple- yet, I must not get ahead of myself.
Jo's Boys follows Plumfield's class of troublemakers into young adulthood; it is a quality end to the series to be able to see where our beloved characters end up in life. Yet, no matter the distance put between them or the challenges they face, they always come back to Mother Bhaer's loving embrace and gentle wisdom.
The overarching theme of Jo's Boys seems to be that one never outgrows home, and the lessons found there. Much of the book follows the boys- now budding young men- as they venture into a world of freedom, temptation, delights, and responsibility. Their guiding light, ever present, is our loving Jo, who has spent years curbing and learning from her own headstrong and restless nature as the "March Brother", now bent on paying the lesson forward to her lively cohort.
It is incredibly satisfying to see the evolution in character from one book to the next, seeing our little women step into mentoring roles, and their effect on their own school of children when its their turn to navigate what life has to offer them. While the main plot is driven by the coming of age of the children in her care, the one constant is the care and stability that Jo and the March family provide.
Far from the wild nature of her youth, Jo has boiled down all the traits of her personality until she is left with unrelenting kindness, patience, and integrity, with the self-awareness to notice any short-comings of her own, and the mind to mend them. This kind of temperament is the perfect mentor to the Bhaer clan, as she knows how it feels to be in their shoes. What we see are the results of this dutiful nature, in the lives of her most beloved "little sheep".
I adored her relentless and persevering care for all her wards, no matter what became of them. In teaching others, she taught me the honor and delight of caring for others tirelessly and honestly; That happiness comes from a job well done and a life lived justly. It is no wonder these little men come back to her any chance they get. 
One of the most gratifying things about any literary world is the ability to see characters through to the end. Not just from childhood to adulthood, but the evolution of moral and philosophical character (although if I had my way, many books would give me a life story because I hate to part with them while there's still so much life to live). This is clearly demonstrated throughout the book, as little vignettes that show how our little men (and women) take on and adapt to the world on their own. Like Jo says at the end: "Ah, me! It does seem as if life was made of partings, and they get harder as we go on". I am thankful for any story that allows me to part with a heart full, knowing the fates of my friends. While I may wish that Alcott would have given us a deeper sense of how our little men were settled, I was thankful for any indication at all.
---
While not strictly about Jo's Boys, I've seen in some other reviews complaints of Alcott's work- specifically in the Little Women world- that it is very pushing towards the Christian rhetoric. While I understand these sentiments, and definitely see the Christian morals and values she includes- for they are fairly blatant- I think these readers forget the context in which they were written. 
Alcott was raised by prominent members of the transcendentalist philosophy. That is, the belief that humans are inherently good, that God is present in everything (especially nature), and that individualism is of the utmost importance- to conform or be herded by social institutions is to be corrupted by loss of independent thought and self-reflection.
All of these notions are inherently present in Alcott's work. So, it is no wonder that her characters should value self respect and reflection, even if they do tend to use God as a moral compass, as the parental figures of Plumfield often do.
In my opinion, Alcott is not attempting to brainwash anyone here; In fact, that would go against the very individualistic values that transcendentalism represents. She encourages individual thought and contemplation within all her characters, and it is especially evident as we watch the evolution of Jo's Boys from Little Men. 
Secondly, not once does Alcott use the presence of God to justify anything but moral behavior- behavior which, I think I can boldly assume, would be considered just and true by anyone regardless of religious affiliation. These bits of "Godly morality" are only ever used to teach the characters to be kind, loving, and responsible (even if there happens to be a little mischief along the way). 
Therefore, if the author's personal values get written in a "not-so-between the lines" fashion, (which, I may add, is any author's prerogative given the intimate nature which writers usually carry into their work), I say get over it. There is a lot more to fret over, like the tragedies that befall our heroines and heroes, rather than an author using God to teach her characters and readers to be good and thoughtful citizens. I encourage any reader to take care of the lessons and morals taught in the stories they read, rather than fret over the vessel in which they are received. 
Besides, "Girls have to go out into the world and make up their own minds about things,".

Panna M

since the whole little women is so comforting for me, i can't really form a valid opinion on it

Isa s

Little Men follows "Jo's Boys", as they grow up. Plumfield has developed from the small school for a handful of boys to a college and Jo's boys are on the verge of becoming adults. "Little Men" follows them in their lives as they try to become worthy men, find love and live through the occasional hardships and desasters of life.

As with "Little Woman" and "Jo's Boys", I really liked reading Little Men. The writing is just as wonderful as in the two preceding books. Learning about what happened to Jo's boys when they grew up is very interesting.

Hong-Lin Stoffels

Agnes Grosz

Heather M

Elisabeth Bontrager

Hannah DCamp

Kate

The fourth and last book about the March family. Join Jo in the last episode of the March family adventures. Ten years after the school at Plumfield was founded, Jo's boys - including wanderer Dan, sailor Emil and musician Nat - are grown up and discovering more about the world. But life after childhood can be confusing and frightening, and it is Jo and the warm-hearted March family who can comfort and guide the boys when they need it the most . . . Plus a behind-the-scenes journey, including an author profile, a guide to who's who, activities and more . . .

Carmen Maria

Bria Bryant

Adriana Gómez 

Connor 

Annie

Tracie McMurray

Charming, heartwarming sequel to Little Women and Little Men depicts the careers and marriages of Jo’s nieces and nephews and their schoolmates. 7 illustrations. Abridged edition.

Jo's Boys

Reviews