An Old-Fashioned Girl

An Old-Fashioned Girl — Louisa May Alcott (1869).

The first six chapters of the novel were serialized in Merry's Museum between July and August 1869. Alcott added another thirteen chapters before publishing the novel in book form.

The story follows Polly Milton, the "old-fashioned" girl of the title, who visits the wealthy family of her friend Fanny Shaw in the city and is overwhelmed by their fashionable lifestyle. Disturbed by how little the family understands one another and how little affection they show, Polly at first remains on the fringes of their social life but gradually exerts a powerful, positive influence on their relations.

When Polly, a bright fourteen-year-old country girl, first encounters the Shaws' urban splendor—expensive clothes, new habits, and social customs—she is mostly uncomfortable and often ignored because of her simple clothing and manners. Fanny's brother Tom teases her, and Fanny herself struggles to understand Polly's uncommon ways. Polly's warmth, kindness, and steadfastness eventually win the family's hearts and teach them lessons they will not forget.

Over the next six years Polly visits the Shaws regularly and comes to be regarded as a member of the family. She later returns to the city to become a music teacher, where she faces professional challenges and personal doubts. When the prosperous Shaws near bankruptcy, Polly helps them realize that wholesome family life matters more than money or decoration, and her support helps the family change for the better.

After Tom is rejected by his fiancée, Trix, he takes a job out West with Polly's brother Ned to make amends for his previous frivolous expenditures. By the end of the novel, Polly and Tom appear to have developed strong feelings for one another.

The novel was the basis of a 1949 musical film starring Gloria Jean as Polly.