{"product_id":"behind-a-mask-a-short-story-collection-9780486842905","title":"Behind a Mask: A Short Story Collection","description":"The author of \u003ci\u003eLittle Women\u003c\/i\u003e and other beloved classics, Louisa May Alcott grew up in a community of New England transcendentalists that included Thoreau and Emerson. Because her learned but impractical father was a poor provider, she supported her family by writing magazine stories that were often published anonymously. \u003cbr\u003e This collection reveals the \"other\" Alcott, featuring \"Behind a Mask\" and \"Pauline's Passion and Punishment,\" thrilling tales of seduction, betrayal, and murder that strike a markedly different tone and characterization from Alcott's best-known work. Other selections include two pieces from \u003ci\u003eHospital Sketches\u003c\/i\u003e, the author's fictionalized accounts of her Civil War nursing experiences; \"My Contraband,\" a tale of vengeance involving a Civil War nurse, her Confederate patient, and his former slave; \"Happy Women,\" concerning four \"spinsters\" with a positive attitude toward their marital status; and \"How I Went Out to Service,\" an autobiographical sketch of a young woman's pursuit of financial independence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBest known as the author of \u003ci\u003eLittle Women\u003c\/i\u003e, Louisa May Alcott (1832-88) grew up in a community of New England transcendentalists that included Thoreau and Emerson. Because her learned but impractical father was a poor provider, she supported her family by writing stories for magazines while she was still a teenager. Alcott worked in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War as a nurse, recording her experiences in \u003ci\u003eHospital Sketches, \u003c\/i\u003eand her many novels are particularly noteworthy for their portraits of strong, self-reliant heroines.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Dover Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50642583421202,"sku":"9780486842905","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_dc081f16-fe66-4b4b-b849-db7ff95c4b60.jpg?v=1733069875","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/behind-a-mask-a-short-story-collection-9780486842905","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}