Louisa May Alcott 
Under the Lilacs 

First published in 1878, ‘Under the Lilacs’ is a children’s novel by Louisa May Alcott, an American novelist, short story writer and poet best known as the author of the bestseller novel ‘Little Women.’



‘Under the Lilacs’ tells the story of Ben Brown, a young chap who has run away from the circus and is roaming the countryside, looking for a new home. He takes refuge in a barn where two sisters, Bab and Betty, frequently play. They discover him and take him home to their mother who provides him with housing and points him to a possible job. About the same time as Ben is working on a local farm, a young lady by the name of Miss Celia, and her invalid brother move into the neighbourhood. Miss Celia’s heart is pricked with tenderness for young Ben and she eventually employs him, bringing her into her and her brother’s home thus providing him with a family…