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Little Women
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Little Women Paperback - 2019

by Louisa May Alcott


About this book

Little Women (or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Written and set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, it was published in two parts in 1868 and 1869. The novel follows the lives of four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March—on their way into adulthood while their father serves as a chaplain in the American Civil War. 

Although it is not based on a true story, it is loosely inspired by the author's childhood experiences with her three sisters and her father’s educational philosophy. Amos Bronson Alcott, a pioneer of “progressive education,” was a notable intellectual at the time. 

The book was an assignment of Alcott’s editor Thomas Niles, who wanted a novel for young women for the Robert Brothers publishing catalog. Although she initially despised the idea of writing a "girls' story," once she started, her writing became feverish. The first volume was published in 1868 with illustrations by Louisa’s younger sister May - the inspiration for the character of ‘Amy’ in the novel. It became an immediate hit, and the initial printing of two thousand copies sold out in two weeks. Little Women's original book cover was maroon cloth with gilt lettering, and it has become one of the most iconic Little Women book covers. 

The second part of the novel was issued in 1869, under the title of Good Wives in the UK. The novel is still published separately in some instances, although starting in 1880 the two parts were published as one single volume under Little Women in the US.

Little Women has been adapted into a film on four different occasions. The first one was George Cukor’s 1933 version, which cast Katharine Hepburn as Jo, followed by the 1949 Mervyn LeRoy adaptation, and the 1994 film directed by Gilliam Armstrong, the first one directed, adapted, and produced by women. The most recent version was in 2019 by director Greta Gerwig and stars Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, and Eliza Scanlen. 

Alcott’s most successful work has had notable cultural relevance all over the world. The ambitious and free-spirited Jo March has inspired women writers since its publication. Her unpretentious depiction of the March sisters and their aims and frustrations distinguish the work from the pious and moral tales of the time. 

If you are looking for books like Little Women, the novel has two sequels that constitute an unofficial trilogy: Little Men: Life at Plumfield with Jo’s Boys (1871), which tells the story of Jo Bhaer (formerly March), Professor Bhaer, and the children at Plumfield Estate School; and the followup, Jo’s Boys and How They Turned Out (1886).

From the publisher

Now a major motion picture starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Timothe Chalamet, and Meryl Streep! Discover Louisa May Alcott's enchanting tale of the March sisters for yourself with this beautiful keepsake edition of Little Women! The quintessential American story, Little Women captured readers' hearts right from the start. A bestseller from the time it was originally published in 1868, it is the tale of the March sisters: Meg, Beth, Jo, and Amy. The four girls couldn't be more different, but with their father fighting in the Civil War and their mother supporting the family, the sisters will have to rely on each other as they grow up and grow together, experiencing love, loss, and the importance of family. Louisa May Alcott recreates her own family's dramatic, comic, and sometimes tragic experiences in this heartfelt novel that has been celebrated and shared for generations--and this unabridged edition will continue to be shared for years to come.

First Edition Identification

The first US edition of Little Women was published in 1868 by the Roberts Brothers, Boston and includes an advertisement in the back pricing Little Women at $1.25. The second part was published in 1869. Each volume is illustrated with a frontispiece and three plates; those in the first part of Little Women were created by the author’s sister, May. Originally bound in purple cloth with gold lettering. The first UK edition was published by Sampson Low in 1869.

Details

  • Title Little Women
  • Author Louisa May Alcott
  • Binding Paperback
  • Pages 336
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Aladdin Paperbacks
  • Date 2019-11-12
  • ISBN 9781534462205 / 1534462201
  • Weight 0.4 lbs (0.18 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.5 x 5.1 x 1 in (19.05 x 12.95 x 2.54 cm)
  • Ages 09 to 12 years
  • Grade levels 4 - 7
  • Reading level 610
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 1851-1899
    • Cultural Region: New England
    • Sex & Gender: Feminine
    • Topical: Civil War
    • Topical: Family
  • Library of Congress subjects Mothers and daughters, Sisters
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2019945298
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

About the author

Louisa May Alcott was born in 1832 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. She is best known for Little Women (1868), which is loosely based on her own life and proved to be one of the most popular children's books ever written. Three sequels followed: Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871), and Jo's Boys (1886). Alcott was the daughter of the famous transcendentalist Bronson Alcott and was friend of Emerson and Thoreau. In addition to writing, she worked as a teacher, governess, and Civil War nurse, as well as being an advocate of abolition, women's rights, and temperance. She died in 1888 and is buried in Sleepy Hollow cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts.
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Little Women
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Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott

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[ Edition: First or Reprint ]. Good Condition. [ No Hassle 30 Day Returns ][ Ships Daily ] [ Underlining/Highlighting: NONE ] [ Writing: NONE ] Publisher: Aladdin (Simon & Schuster) Pub Date: 11/1/2019 Binding: Paperback Pages: 338
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Little Women
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Little Women

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Little Women

Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott

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Little Women

Little Women

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Little Women
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Little Women (1) (The Little Women Collection)
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Little Women (1) (The Little Women Collection)

by Alcott, Louisa May

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Little Women (1) (The Little Women Collection)

by Alcott, Louisa May

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Little Women (1) (The Little Women Collection)

by Alcott, Louisa May

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ISBN 10
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