In the second volume of Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag, Louisa May Alcott takes her readers on a spirited journey through the Old World. Moving away from the domestic scenes of New England, "Shawl-Straps" captures the real-life adventures of three ladies traveling independently through Brittany, France, Switzerland, Italy, and London.
This is no ordinary travelogue; it is a "living" lesson in observation and resilience. Alcott encourages her readers to return from their journeys-whether real or imagined-with "heads full of new and larger ideas" and hearts richer in the sympathy that makes the whole world kin. From the ruins of Rome to the peaks of the Alps, this volume invites children to appreciate the wonders of art and the diviner miracles of nature, honoring the mind and soul of every young traveler.