How Little Women followed me into adulthood

My earliest memory of Little Women features an ailing swallow, a cardboard box, and my ultra-earnest seven-year-old self.

Image by skeeze from Pixabay

We found the bird limping in our yard and placed her in a makeshift cardboard nest. I padded it with grass that still lodged some ants (in case she got peckish).

I dragged out my Little Women tome and set up vigil, ready to comfort my newfound…