This collection concentrates on the secondary works of Louisa May Alcott and looks at the idea that Alcott was as heavily influenced by her times as by her transcendentalist upbringing. Her work often subverts the conventional and includes the new, the practical, and the real. The sections include: (1) the gothic and the monstrous feminine, (2) the theme of useful work, (3) the themes of physical and mental health, and (4) Alcott's philosophy concerning creativity and genius. Contributors emphasize Alcott's belief in women's agency and argue that Alcott can be considered as a brilliant bridge between the Transcendental idealism of the early nineteenth century and later reforms.