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Little Women
Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, set during the Civil War, has always captivated even the most reluctant readers. Follow the adventures of the four March sisters—Meg, Beth, Amy, and, most of all, the tomboy Jo—as they experience the joys and disappointments, tragedies and triumphs, of growing up.
160 pages, Hardcover
Published January 17, 2023
About the author
Deanna McFadden
42 books49 followersPublishing Director, Wattpad Books. Reader. Sometime writer. Mother. Wife. Never in that order. Will often find me reading and walking, which isn't as remotely dangerous as it sounds.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
July 6, 2020
I was very excited to read this book atre hearing wonderful things about it. It dawned on me that this book is the children's version.
The book itself was a little everywhere, and I wasn't sure if I liked the characters. The ending was weird for me, and I found myself wanting more form the book.
The book itself was a little everywhere, and I wasn't sure if I liked the characters. The ending was weird for me, and I found myself wanting more form the book.
August 16, 2022
4,q5 stars- English Ebook
Review follows later.
Review follows later.
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November 10, 2017I don’t really know how to rate this book! I’m so glad there is an abridged version I could read to my daughter at this point, but I was disappointed with the writing and storytelling. Having just read the Little House books it was a bit of a let down. However, the story and relationships in it are still there and it’s great that a younger reader can get into the classics early. I think in the future I will just hold out until my child is ready for the real deal! I look forward to reading Little Women, unabridged :).
March 6, 2021
i recently bought this book from a book sale, and there wasn't really a lot of books, so I picked this. it is about how 4 sisters (eldest to youngest) Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy face life, argue, forgive and survive the despairs their lives bring from girls to young little women
November 30, 2015
The background of the story is about four sisters who lived with their mother. And the period is about US civil war. Four sisters had different personal understanding to the life. I feel that I was like Jo when I read this book at first time, she is the tomboy. She is easily to anger and against the other power, I did these too. Just like against my parents ,teachers, sometimes even good friends. In my spiritual world , I love Beth . She is that kind of person I really want to be. She is cute, love peace, quiet ,gentle, sweet ,shy and musical. I know that is a chinese ancient queto “Too deep emotion shortens the life span; too much intelligence gets oneself hurt.” Beth did it. This is sign for express woman' "self-sacrifice", this is much more harder than all the rebellion behavior. These plot always makes me cry, even the movie was suck.
April 11, 2025
Αν πω οτι πίστευα πως θα τελείωνα αυτό το βιβλίο σε μια καθισιά και τελικά μου πήρε σχεδόν μια εβδομάδα; 🫠 Μόνο 84 σελίδες ήταν και μάλιστα παιδική έκδοση της κανονικής ιστορίας αλλά δυσκολευόμουν αρκετά να συγκεντρωθώ. Θεωρώ πως δεν μπήκα καθόλου στο κλίμα του βιβλίου. Είχα δει την ταινία πριν κάτι χρόνια και δεν με είχε ενθουσιάσει για να είμαι ειλικρινής. 🫣 Τώρα που διάβασα και το βιβλίο (έστω την παιδική έκδοση), έχω να πω ότι ούτε αυτό με ενθουσίασε.
January 13, 2025
Read this to my 4.5 yr old daughter! We both absolutely loved it!
February 21, 2021
I think this book has a inspiring story, this book takes time in a year. I think it's pretty good!, I also have been thinking " Maybe I should make some books too!". Amazing book!
August 19, 2016
Review: Little Women! Basic InfoFormat: Audio
Pages/Length: n/a
Genre: Young Adult; Historical Fiction
Reason For Reading: #3 on YA Top 100
At A GlanceLove Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: Eh.
Cliff Hanger: No
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 2.5 stars
Score SheetAll out of ten
Cover: 6
Plot: 4
Characters: 5
World Building: 5
Flow: 5
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 5
Ending: 5
Total: 5
In DeptBest Part: Eh
Worst Part: Talking, talking, talking.
Thoughts Had: DO SOMETHING!
ConclusionContinuing the Series: eh
Recommending: eh
Short Review: I'm sorry, maybe i'm a bitter girl who is mad i can never keep girlfriends, but damn, girls are horrible. They just sit around and talk, and talk, and talk. I was bored out of my mind. Their father is sick, so their mother, who i guess is the only reason they can get along, leaves to go be with him, which is like the last time you'll hear about it, and that's the end of a "plot" for me. They just talk. The one girl goes someone and a few chapters is just her letters she sent home! Ugh. I was so bored. I couldn't connect to any of them. Boring.
Misc.
Book Boyfriend: Idk.
Best Friend Material: None.
Pages/Length: n/a
Genre: Young Adult; Historical Fiction
Reason For Reading: #3 on YA Top 100
At A GlanceLove Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: Eh.
Cliff Hanger: No
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 2.5 stars
Score SheetAll out of ten
Cover: 6
Plot: 4
Characters: 5
World Building: 5
Flow: 5
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 5
Ending: 5
Total: 5
In DeptBest Part: Eh
Worst Part: Talking, talking, talking.
Thoughts Had: DO SOMETHING!
ConclusionContinuing the Series: eh
Recommending: eh
Short Review: I'm sorry, maybe i'm a bitter girl who is mad i can never keep girlfriends, but damn, girls are horrible. They just sit around and talk, and talk, and talk. I was bored out of my mind. Their father is sick, so their mother, who i guess is the only reason they can get along, leaves to go be with him, which is like the last time you'll hear about it, and that's the end of a "plot" for me. They just talk. The one girl goes someone and a few chapters is just her letters she sent home! Ugh. I was so bored. I couldn't connect to any of them. Boring.
Misc.
Book Boyfriend: Idk.
Best Friend Material: None.
March 6, 2020
I read the children’s book. Lol. I’ve seen the movie a handful of times. Plan to read an adult volume in the future.
February 22, 2021
This story of the four March girls is one of my favorites are
August 3, 2026
The books follow the quaint, everyday lives of the March Sisters- which are based off the author and her own family. Written by Louisa May Alcott, 'Little Women' is basically an autobiography. Penned under the names 'Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth,' the book follows these girls through their childhood and into their adult struggles. Our protagonist is gutsy tomboyish Jo, who is afraid of marriage, but craves love. She finds herself in an environment where romantic love is considered the highest form of it- which is something her younger sister Amy also struggles to reconcile with.
Out of the four sisters, Jo and Amy are the most similar and loud spoken- which is makes their turbulent relationship all the more interesting. They are ambitious in a time where, even in fiction, their only options were to be dead or to be married; something that Jo's publisher tells her when she approaches him with her manuscript.
The irony of this; is that while the quote is only present in the film, Alcott herself had to leave the March sisters as dead or married. Or, at least, as some would protest- 'in love'.
But they were loved- I will rebuke. The Marchs were an intensely welcoming and loving family- to the point where they even take in their lonely neighbor Laurie into their little world. Laurie- a rich boy living next door, who happens to be the same age as the girls. Despite their great differences, the March family had so much light to them, that for a book predominantly set in winter, just holding a copy made me feel warm. Laurie eventually gets roped into the sisters' antics. Each sister has their own creative passions- with Meg and her stage, Jo with her pen, Amy as a painter, and timid Beth with her quick fingers across any piano. Laurie himself, while not showing any great creative hand, is so immersed in the love present in the March house, that he has no choice but to return again and again, until the band of four becomes five.
Eventually, each sister has to go their own way, as is with most coming-of-age stories. Their wonderous childhood is noticeably put to death the day of Meg's wedding. Personally frightened at the notion of watching Meg lose herself in her marriage, Jo begs her to run away. She tries to convince Meg that her talents outweigh her marital obligations. But maternal, mature Meg tells her that just because her dreams are different and less ambitious, it does not make them unimportant.
Which brings us back to the book's dilemma.
Jo and Amy grow up afraid of being forced out of their aspirations and trapped in marriages. While this fear is not invalid, they are both brought up in environments full of romantic notions, where marriage is condemned the highest form of affection, even above familial or platonic love. In doing so, this mentality- coupled with their phobia of losing their individuality- leads to both of them feeling alone, lost and cold despite their hearthy homes.
But why is this relevant? In a book about four sisters, from a time before the first World War, who am I to ask you to read Little Women? Why make a movie about it? Why pick it up at all?
Because even today, when we think of love, we think of flowers. Roses, chocolates. The color red. We think of Laurie on a hill, we think of Joe rejecting him. It's always "it's no use Joe," but never about a father returning home from war, kissing his daughters and "Oh, how I've missed you, my Little Women."
Why not dream of a sister's hug? Or a friend you haven't seen in a long time? Why is the girl in the movie poster always clinging to some boy? Why are the stories never about a misadventure, a misdemeanor, a mistake? Why is it, that "All a woman is fit for is love"? Why is it, that by the end of it all- she either has to be dead or married?
Out of the four sisters, Jo and Amy are the most similar and loud spoken- which is makes their turbulent relationship all the more interesting. They are ambitious in a time where, even in fiction, their only options were to be dead or to be married; something that Jo's publisher tells her when she approaches him with her manuscript.
The irony of this; is that while the quote is only present in the film, Alcott herself had to leave the March sisters as dead or married. Or, at least, as some would protest- 'in love'.
But they were loved- I will rebuke. The Marchs were an intensely welcoming and loving family- to the point where they even take in their lonely neighbor Laurie into their little world. Laurie- a rich boy living next door, who happens to be the same age as the girls. Despite their great differences, the March family had so much light to them, that for a book predominantly set in winter, just holding a copy made me feel warm. Laurie eventually gets roped into the sisters' antics. Each sister has their own creative passions- with Meg and her stage, Jo with her pen, Amy as a painter, and timid Beth with her quick fingers across any piano. Laurie himself, while not showing any great creative hand, is so immersed in the love present in the March house, that he has no choice but to return again and again, until the band of four becomes five.
Eventually, each sister has to go their own way, as is with most coming-of-age stories. Their wonderous childhood is noticeably put to death the day of Meg's wedding. Personally frightened at the notion of watching Meg lose herself in her marriage, Jo begs her to run away. She tries to convince Meg that her talents outweigh her marital obligations. But maternal, mature Meg tells her that just because her dreams are different and less ambitious, it does not make them unimportant.
Which brings us back to the book's dilemma.
Jo and Amy grow up afraid of being forced out of their aspirations and trapped in marriages. While this fear is not invalid, they are both brought up in environments full of romantic notions, where marriage is condemned the highest form of affection, even above familial or platonic love. In doing so, this mentality- coupled with their phobia of losing their individuality- leads to both of them feeling alone, lost and cold despite their hearthy homes.
But why is this relevant? In a book about four sisters, from a time before the first World War, who am I to ask you to read Little Women? Why make a movie about it? Why pick it up at all?
Because even today, when we think of love, we think of flowers. Roses, chocolates. The color red. We think of Laurie on a hill, we think of Joe rejecting him. It's always "it's no use Joe," but never about a father returning home from war, kissing his daughters and "Oh, how I've missed you, my Little Women."
Why not dream of a sister's hug? Or a friend you haven't seen in a long time? Why is the girl in the movie poster always clinging to some boy? Why are the stories never about a misadventure, a misdemeanor, a mistake? Why is it, that "All a woman is fit for is love"? Why is it, that by the end of it all- she either has to be dead or married?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2018
This adaptation is true in spirit to the original. It only covers the first half of the novel- the original Little Women. The adapter did a nice job summarizing the preaching. I found the vocabulary is still a little too difficult for most 8-10 year olds. I may give this to my 10 year old niece and see what she thinks. The illustrations are black and white sketches. I feel indifferent about them. They are not exceptional but they're not terrible. There should be more illustrations. In the back there are discussion questions for the reader to think about. I would probably recommend waiting until the reader is old enough to read the original and skip the adaptation but as an adaptation I enjoyed it.
July 3, 2023
A great abridgment for your little ones that love Alcott’s story but couldn’t tackle the original’s higher reading level. I found that it holds closely to the story and spirit of the original, and my ten year old that loves classics of this nature is loving having the ability to read it. I’ve begrudged abridged books before, but I’ve had to modify my opinion as I’ve seen this one only deepen my daughter’s love for the story and reading.
March 21, 2024
I only gave this book three stars because I think it was very rushed and the ending was quick. I know it’s an abridged version so I expected that though.
Otherwise I would give the story five stars! It was so cute and lighthearted. I definitely loved the friendship between Laurie and Jo; I thought it was so refreshing seeing boys and girls able to just be friends and nothing romantic. I really want to read the unabridged version now ☺️☺️☺️
Otherwise I would give the story five stars! It was so cute and lighthearted. I definitely loved the friendship between Laurie and Jo; I thought it was so refreshing seeing boys and girls able to just be friends and nothing romantic. I really want to read the unabridged version now ☺️☺️☺️
May 31, 2022
it was surprisingly difficult to get into, but once I did I couldn't stop reading. definitely a good book, I loved it
October 17, 2022
*retold. Hadde denne kortversjonen liggande og det var mange referansar til den i “Seven husbands of Evely Hugo”.
Kjapp times lesing, usikker om eg skal orke å lese den fulle versjonen.
Kjapp times lesing, usikker om eg skal orke å lese den fulle versjonen.
November 17, 2023
I’ve always loved this book, was fun reading to my children but Beth always makes me cry. 😭
November 10, 2025
I've read this edition many times 🫠
April 28, 2021
I am finally logging all the books I read earlier in the year, it's been on my to do list lol
December 30, 2019
This book taught me that it doesn’t matter if you are poor or rich we are all still people. That means if you see someone poor don’t be rude because they are people too.
October 27, 2017
This was a beautiful introduction to one of my favorite stories for my girls, ages 6 and 9. A lot of "Meg said..." "Jo said...," which was a bit jarring when reading aloud, but my girls didn't notice.
January 29, 2020
A classic, and this time I enjoyed augmenting my reading with facts from Lousia May Alcott's real life. Turns out my chief complaint with the book- that it is too overly moralistic- was also what Louisa disliked about it. Makes me like her better.
April 20, 2020
"Little Women" (Classic Starts) is a historical fiction novel adapted from the original version of the story by Louisa May Alcott. This story centers around four sisters, Jo, Amy, Beth, and Meg, who grow up during the Civil War in New England. The girl's father is away at war, so they must learn to support their mother and take on greater responsibility, while still hang on to the joys of youth. The story shines a light on the themes of family, following dreams, tragedy, and love and would best be read by third through fifth graders!
This novel was a WOW book for me because of the special bond the characters have as a family and because of all of the important themes the book touches on. Moreover, I fell in love with the characters as soon as I met them. Jo is an incredible writer who finds love she was not expecting to. Meg, a kind and caring older sister, prepares for a life and family of her own. Amy follows her dreams and travels abroad and Beth is the joy of the family who learns to deal with hardship.
In my future classroom, I will use this book to discuss the time period in which the book is set. I think it would be very beneficial to my students, if they were to read this book in alignment with learning about the Civil War in social studies curriculum. This way, students could experience what it would have been like to grow up during this time, while learning the historical facts about the time period as well. Moreover, I will use this book in EL curriculum to discuss the genre of fiction with my students. It will be important that the students learn the difference between fiction and nonfiction stories and this book would be great practice in deciphering between the two. Students would note that although many characteristics of the story are based in truth (hardships that came with the Civil War and culture of this time), the story is not a true story.
This novel was a WOW book for me because of the special bond the characters have as a family and because of all of the important themes the book touches on. Moreover, I fell in love with the characters as soon as I met them. Jo is an incredible writer who finds love she was not expecting to. Meg, a kind and caring older sister, prepares for a life and family of her own. Amy follows her dreams and travels abroad and Beth is the joy of the family who learns to deal with hardship.
In my future classroom, I will use this book to discuss the time period in which the book is set. I think it would be very beneficial to my students, if they were to read this book in alignment with learning about the Civil War in social studies curriculum. This way, students could experience what it would have been like to grow up during this time, while learning the historical facts about the time period as well. Moreover, I will use this book in EL curriculum to discuss the genre of fiction with my students. It will be important that the students learn the difference between fiction and nonfiction stories and this book would be great practice in deciphering between the two. Students would note that although many characteristics of the story are based in truth (hardships that came with the Civil War and culture of this time), the story is not a true story.
February 18, 2010
I first read this book as a very young teen, and loved it. 40 plus years later I read it again. I started reading it with a somewhat jaded eye which did not last long. I was quickly swept up in the comfort of the March Family. I laughed and cried in all the correct places which means I still think this is a great classic.
October 4, 2015
I didnt like it. But then again, I read it 8 years ago..
But I remember reading selected parts of it multiple times. Even though I didn't like it as a whole.
But I remember reading selected parts of it multiple times. Even though I didn't like it as a whole.
December 4, 2015
This is a book of innocence and family, it is very.
I like the book is excellent.
I like the book is excellent.
October 13, 2019
What a great book! My favorite part is when Beth gets the fever! 🤒
April 6, 2024
Pedagogical literature. I think it is a literary curiosity. There are positive and negative characters. The book is interesting, but sometimes I wanted to put it down. You can read it.
October 30, 2014
It was really cute! The beginning part confused me a little though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews