Carefully retold in clear contemporary language, and presented with delightful illustrations, our successful Classic Collection series will capture the hearts and imagination of young readers
Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888) was an American novelist, short story writer and poet, best known for her beloved novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels, Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886).
The Alcott family struggled with financial difficulties, and Louisa began working at an early age to help support her family. Despite these responsibilities, she remained determined to pursue her literary ambitions. She began achieving critical recognition during the 1860s. Early in her career, she sometimes wrote under pseudonyms, most notably A. M. Barnard, publishing sensational stories and novels for adult audiences that often explored themes of passion, revenge and forbidden desires.
Published in 1868, Little Women is set in Concord, Massachusetts, and draws heavily on Alcott's own childhood experiences growing up with her three sisters: Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt, Elizabeth Sewall Alcott and Abigail May Alcott Nieriker. The novel was an immediate success and has remained a beloved classic for generations of readers, both young and old. It has been adapted numerous times for the stage, film and television.
Alcott was a committed abolitionist, feminist and advocate for social reform. Throughout her life, she supported causes including women's suffrage and the temperance movement. She never married and remained devoted to her family and literary work. She died in Boston on March 6, 1888, at the age of 55, just two days after the death of her father.
Ellie and I had fun reading this together before bedtime. I am looking forward to reading this again with her (the unabridged version) when she is older.