Little Women - Paperback

by Louisa May Alcott (Author), Susan Cheever (Introduction by)

Introduction by Susan Cheever
Commentary by G. K. Chesterton, Katherine Fullerton Gerould, and Madeleine B. Stern

Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read

It is no surprise that Little Women, the adored classic of four devoted sisters, was loosely based on Louisa May Alcott's own life. In fact, Alcott drew from her own personality to create a heroine unlike any seen before: Jo, willful, headstrong, and undoubtedly the backbone of the March family. Follow the sisters from innocent adolescence to sage adulthood, with all the joy and sorrow of life in between, and fall in love with them and this endearing story. Praised by Madeleine Stern as "a book on the American home, and hence universal in its appeal," Little Women has been an avidly read tale for generations. This Modern Library edition includes notes that offer more description and insight than those of previous editions.

Front Jacket

It is no surprise that Little Women, the adored classic of four sisters and their enduring devotion to and protection of one another, was loosely based on Louisa May Alcott's own life. Alcott drew from her own personality to create a unique protagonist: Jo, willful, headstrong, and undoubtedly the backbone of the March family, is a heroine unlike any seen before. Follow the sisters from innocent adolescence to sage adulthood, with all the joy and sorrow of life in between, and fall in love with them and this endearing story.
Praised by Madeleine Stern as "a book on the American home, and hence universal in its appeal," Little Women has been an avidly read, and reread, tale for generations. This Modern Library Paperback Classics edition includes newly written notes that offer more description and insight than those of previous editions.

Author Biography

Louisa May Alcott was born in 1832 in Pennsylvania and grew up in Concord, Massachusetts. She is best known for her books for children. The daughter of philosopher and reformer Amons Bronson Alcott, she was also a supporter of women's rights and an abolitionist. Family debts led her to write the autobiographical novel Little Women (1868). The book was a huge success, followed by Little Men, An Old-Fashioned Girl, and several other novels.