Marjorie's Three Gifts

by Louisa May Alcott

This book is a collection of two short stories. The first, "Marjorie's Three Gifts" tells of a surprise party which is held in Marjorie's honor. The second, "Roses and Forget-me-nots", is about two meetings between Lizzie, a very poor girl, and Belle, who is rich and lacks for nothing.

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Fiction, Childrens, Historical Fiction, American

41 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1899

About the author

Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known for writing the novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886). Raised in New England by her transcendentalist parents, Abigail May Alcott and Amos Bronson Alcott, she grew up among many well-known intellectuals of the day, including Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Alcott's family suffered from financial difficulties, and while she worked to help support the family from an early age, she also sought an outlet in writing. She began to receive critical success for her writing in the 1860s. Early in her career, she sometimes used pen names such as A.M. Barnard, under which she wrote lurid short stories and sensation novels for adults that focused on passion and revenge.
Published in 1868, Little Women is set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, and is loosely based on Alcott's childhood experiences with her three sisters, Abigail May Alcott Nieriker, Elizabeth Sewall Alcott, and Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt. The novel was well-received at the time and is still popular today among both children and adults. It has been adapted for stage plays, films, and television many times.
Alcott was an abolitionist and a feminist and remained unmarried throughout her life. She also spent her life active in reform movements such as temperance and women's suffrage. She died from a stroke in Boston on March 6, 1888, just two days after her father's death.

Reviews

[Moha Dem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never thought I'd enjoy what seemed a children's book so much ...
It's Marjorie's birthday, her grandma told her a fictional story about a girl who met a Brownie, a fairy and a prince, and as she embarks on her birthday journey she meets this gentleman who gifts her a shiny gold dollar, and a young miss who gives her a pretty drawing of her house, then comes Bill and takes her to a picnic made just for her ...

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marjorie’s Three Gifts:
4 stars & 4/10 hearts. Such a lovely moral to this sweet little story <3 it’s a quick read but so heart-warming!

A Favourite Quote: “I wish the house and every thing would stay pretty forever as they will in the picture.” …
“It can't be summer always, dear, but we can make fair weather for ourselves if we try. The moss, the roses, and soft shadows show the little house and the little girl at their best, and that is what we all should do; for it is amazing how lovely common things become, if one only knows how to look at them…. Just believe that there is a sunny side to every thing, and try to find it, and you will be surprised to see how bright the world will seem, and how cheerful you will be able to keep your little self.”

Roses & Forget-Me-Nots:
4 stars & 4/10 hearts. The classic tropes of forlorn orphans and kind rich girls meeting in the dead of winter… with an unexpected twist or two! Lovely moral, a sweet story, and a couple of my favourite clichés along the lines of A Little Princess.

It touched her very much to learn that her little act of childish charity had been so sweet and helpful to this lonely girl, and now lived so freshly in her grateful memory. It showed her, suddenly, how precious little deeds of love and sympathy are; how strong to bless, how easy to perform, how comfortable to recall.

[Bosibori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story with a great moral lesson and it can be enjoyed by both children and adults..

[Gina House · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and heartwarming little book that shows how to live by hard work, cheerfulness and love, as well as showing small everyday kindnesses to those around you. The charm and sweetness of these two stories have the power to lighten and brighten the heart.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two quite short books in one volume in Kindle form which I read on a flight. The first features a 12-year-old girl called Marjorie who daydreams about wealth, happiness and a handsome prince, then finds herself meeting some unusual people (real or imaginary) who help her appreciate her circumstances better.

Evidently a moral tale about being grateful and working hard, but nicely done. The same is true of the second book, 'Roses', which features the orphan Lizzie who struggles to survive, who meets the spoilt and wealthy Belle both in childhood and as they embark on adulthood. Contrasts are made without too much author explanation, and again the focus is on hard work and being thankful.

They were good books to read on a flight, and I'd recommend them to children from about ten or older who like reading this kind of book; set at the end of the 19th century it's inevitably dated, but the characters shine through anyway.

Three and a half stars would be fairer.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories were simplistic and sweet, but not to the point of being overly sentimental. You are moved as the characters are touched. It is rare for such a short book to get to you that quickly.

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav]

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To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

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“Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows.” Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

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" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

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Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

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[Marlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the title is only one story, the version I got on iBooks had two stories in it. Interesting and engaging stories. Probably my kids would have enjoyed them more than I did. My rating of three starts is really based on the idea of younger people enjoying it. I would only give it two stars if it was just for myself. I suppose I still get bored of this author’s moralizing, though I like the stories as a whole.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I was a bit nervous about reading any short stories by Alcott. I loved 'Little Women', it has to be one of my all time favourites. I just feared these stories would affect my opinion of her as a writer. After reading this though I can thankfully say it hasn't and in fact it has made me think better of her. This book contains two short stories called 'Marjorie's Three Gifts' and 'Roses and Forget-me nots.'

'Marjorie's Three Gifts' is about a young girl named Marjorie who's wishes all come true for her birthday. I liked with this story that Alcott is teaching us a moral. The way that it was written was very good because it didn't have to much description in it which I find very off putting.

The second story ''Roses and Forget-me nots' was my favourite out of the two. It was about a young girl named Belle who after encounting Lizzie, after she was dropping off a hat helps her out. It is then as the story carries on that she learns to think of others. I thought this story was the stronger out of the two. I liked how it teaches you just by helping someone out it can make their life better. I liked Lizzie because she didn't feel sorry for herself because she was poor. She just accepted her life and got on with it.

I would recommend this to anyone. All though it's aimed at younger readers I still think you can it enjoy it as an adult. After reading these short stories, I plan to read more of Alcott's work. I would say that these stories deserve 4.5/5. I would have given an a five but I found the first story a bit weaker.

[Nagisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lovely short stories. A little girl Marjorie's happy day for her birthday just made me jealous.

And the stories of "Roses and Forget-me-nots" are sad but gentle as they're filled with sympathy and love.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It can't be summer always, dear, but we can make fair weather for ourselves if we try."

[Kathi Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, short read and refreshing to get a nice story with a moral in it about being and doing good no matter what our circumstances

[Tammi Owens]

TRUE

[Kathy Nealen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two very short, sweet, optimistic stories about young girls, "Marjorie's Three Gifts" and "Roses and Forget-me-nots".

[Dillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were short, and like Garland for Girls, all fables in a way.