Favorite book about another Rose by author of Little Women
Picture is from favorite childhood book of mine, EIGHT COUSINS, a lesser known novel by Louisa May Alcott which I actually prefer over LITTLE WOMEN. Character dressed in expensive and fashionable attire is Rose (in decorative pinafore with "angel wings" type frill similar to top worn by Carmen in PALF), a wealthy girl who goes to live with relatives after death of her bookworm invalid father, her mother having died before she could remember.
Rose befriends and comes to treat as a sister Phebe, the other girl shown--a foundling with a beautiful singing voice who came to work as servant in curious rambling family home shortly before Rose came to live there. Colonial era house is full of exotic treasures from around the world, brought back to New England by generations of merchant sailors who made the family fortune.
Rose's elderly aunts are named Peace and Plenty (one has romantic tale of her own youth to tell). Rose's new guardian is her uncle Alec, who she'd never met because he has been away on voyages as ship's doctor. It's gradually revealed that he was her father's brother; both men had been in love with the same women, another Rose who chose her father. By entrusting his only child to his estranged brother, Dr. Alec realizes that Rose's father meant as reconciliation, leaving in Alec's care George's own greatest treasure, his daughter.
Phebe, who has no idea who her own parents were, eventually is helped by Rose and Uncle Alex to get the education she longs for and becomes (in sequel ROSE IN BLOOM), a wonderful concert singer who tries to help other orphaned girls. Phebe eventually falls in love with Archie, the oldest of Rose's seven male cousins. Hope it isn't spoiler to say although many in the family--including Phebe herself--feel "their best boy" shouldn't marry a "humble" girl of unknown origin, true love finally wins.
Rose makes an unexpected match with the family "ugly duckling" who turns out to be a strong yet tender man, thanks in part to the help Rose gave him during trying times. Even more unexpected match is between society girl and wealthy young man from China who admires her plumpness (a Chinese beauty trait); an inter-racial marriage very unusual for the time. Unclear if Phebe's parentage may be Italian (like Laurie in LITTLE WOMEN) or even African-American--her physical description and talents could fit either cultural concept of the time.
I like the clean line drawings of illustrations by Ruth Ives for the 1958 Junior Deluxe Edition.
Another lesser-known Alcott book, OLD-FASHIONED GIRL, shares some similar themes of both EIGHT COUSINS, latter's sequel ROSE IN BLOOM and PARIENTES A LA FUERZA. (I also like young aspiring actress Josie in Alcott's final sequel to Little Women, Jo's Boys).
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In case I'm not able to blog on recently shown episodes of PARIENTES A LA FUERZA, I've been posting in comments on the show's official You Tube channel, some favorite comic moments, inspirational phrases--one of which quoted below could describe a theme of EIGHT COUSINS--and swoonsome dialogue (and yes, I did recognize movie inspiration deliberately referred to in George's flashback in Episode 14, first seen--I think--in Ep. 6, when Carmen gives George relaxing upper back massage she learned from a video).
If PALF was prime time show in English, or movie with massive Hollywood studio publicity machine behind it, there would already be book of favorite quotes in the style of FORREST GUMP, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, or THE GODFATHER. Not to mention cuddly stuffed toys, symbolically black and white Chicharon piggies with blue wings like those in PALF opening credits--why I pointed out free crochet pattern for winged Cu-Pig https://www.yarnspirations.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-master-catalog-spinrite/default/dwf7636139/PDF/RHC0334-020509M.pdf
From PALF Episode 84: La familia no es la que tiene la misma sangre, sino la gente que se cuida, que se ama y se hacen felices. Tu mismo me ensenaste eso cuando me aceptaste aqui con tu familia. A ver, escucharme: tu siempre me dices que ya no quieres ser un nino, que ya no eres un nino, y que quieres que te tratemos como una person mayor. Sabes que hacemos las personas mayores? Nos enfrentamos a las dificultades por mas duras que sean, las enfrentamos.
P.S. I moved comments related to 1994 version of CAFE CON AROMA DE MUJER, originally part of this post, over to the one on Episode 15: "Una oferta sincera".
