Transcendental Wife tells the story of Abigail May Alcott (1800-1877), a 19th-century wife and mother, who accepted the view that women best served society and moral authority by supporting involved husbands and by nurturing future citizens, the children. Before her marriage she espoused abolition, temperance, and educational reform, and the circumstances of her life with Bronson Alcott led to her eventual advocacy of careers and the vote for women. This book considers her life in the context of her historical era and as a person in her own right.