Over the summer, I had the opportunity to visit a few homes that were once owned by famous authors in Maine and Massachusetts. I also explored sites that inspired the creation of some of the greatest novels in history.
I am completely enthralled when standing in the exact room and in front of the exact desk where famous authors wrote their masterpieces. I did not hesitate at a chance to see Louisa May Alcott's home in Concord, Massachusetts. I am a huge fan of Little Women. You cannot imagine the excitement that I felt when standing inside Alcott's bedroom and overlooking her shelf desk where she wrote Little Women in 1868. Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House was everything I could imagine it to be, plus more.
Her youngest sister Abigail who the character Amy in Little Women was inspired by did indeed have a talent for art. Her artwork was displayed throughout the home. Their parents, Amos and Abigail, encouraged their children to develop their talents and allowed Abigail to paint and sketch on the walls throughout the home. During the eighties, they had discovered she had sketched the profiles of guests onto the walls in one room. It was a remarkable find.
Meg in Little Women was inspired by Louisa's eldest sister, Anna. Anna was an aspiring actress.
Just like the 2019 movie "Little Women" the sisters really did perform plays that Louisa had written in front of guests in the living room. You will also see the piano that her sister, Elizabeth, who was the inspiration behind the character of Beth played.
While in Salem, Massachusetts, I was able to see the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne and The House of Seven Gables, which is the setting for his novel The House of Seven Gables. A beautiful garden and the view of the Salem Harbor makes a tour of the home even more worth your while. You won't believe that you are standing in the very room where Nathaniel Hawthorne was born. I also highly recommend this literary destination. Hawthorne also lived in Concord, Massachusetts behind the Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House. They were neighbors and occasionally crossed paths with each other. Hawthorne's great-great-grandfather was a judge for the Salem Witch Trials.
Another author who lived in Concord, Massachusetts is Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson's House is within walkable distance from Louisa May Alcott's house.
Another amazing literary destination in New England is Stephen King's house in Bangor, Maine. You will find many Stephen King movie locations
in Maine, such as the drain used for IT, the cemetery that was included in the 1989 movie Pet Sematary, and a truck stop that was the inspiration for King's horror movie Maximum Overdrive. This is not the truck stop filmed in the movie. You will have to go to North Carolina to see that one.
Pictured on the left: This is me standing in front of Stephen King's home in Bangor, Maine.
The only literary location that I could
not see was Emily Dickinson's home, but there is always another time for that.
If you love looking at literary attractions, I highly recommend planning a literary adventure of your own.
Pictured on the right: This is the Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts.
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