Chapter Two: A New England Girlhood

I decided to read A New England Girlhood when one night during dinner it came out that its author, Lucy Larcom, was somehow a distant relation to me.  She, too, had spent the first part of her childhood in Beverly, Massachusetts, so between our common ancestry and common location, I wanted to check out her works, and her autobiography for young fans seemed like a good place to start.  For me, at least, this book provided some interesting insights into what life in this area was like almost two centuries ago and on my own family's history, but even I didn't find this to be a very compelling read, for the simple reason that it provides more of a contemplative account of her life than a narrative one.  It really felt like more of a history book than a story book, and while it was an interesting history it wasn't much of a story, so I can't see many kids today enjoying A New England Girlhood.  However, Larcom's writing and descriptions of her early life felt very earnest, and I enjoyed this little trip back in time.