Little Women (Collins Classics)

This timeless children's classic is read and enjoyed by many adults as well as children. Unlike most classics considered children's works today, Little Women was intended for an audience of children. It takes place during the Civil War and the years following, and narrates the story of 4 girls as they grow up, including their friends and their family. Louisa May Alcott based this work in large part on her family, although many of the events are born totally of her imagination. Jo is based on Louisa May; Meg is based on her older sister Anna; Beth is based on her younger sister Elizabeth, or Lizzie; and Amy is based on her youngest sister May. Because the character Jo is based on the author herself, she is the most well defined character in the book and the one most children identify with. A tomboy, a writer, and quite determined, Jo is the central figure in the book and most events center around her growing up, but all of the other girls get special attention in stories particularly about them from time to time.

There is a great sense of morality in the work, but it is never treated in a 'preachy' manner. Values and morals are taught and absorbed by the reader as the girls learn them through various trials, some funny, some sorrowful, some frustrating. There is likewise a very strong emphasis on God. Much of the first half of the book centers around concepts found in the Puritan work, Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan. The girls are often pointed by their mother toward God and placing their trust in Him and seeking His aid in various situations. Louisa May Alcott was also a transcendentalist and her family was close friends with Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne. Because of this, there is a sense of joy found in nature as well as respect. In addition, Louisa May was an avid feminist in her day, although not in the sense of feminist that many think of today. She believed that women should not be barred from admission in the workforce, or limited to work as seamstresses or governesses, nor should marriage be their only avenue of insuring a stable and secure future. She did not get married, but did raise her sister May's daughter after May died. Little Women is definitely not anti-marriage, but some of the characters dream of becoming well-known in their favorite fields; also, some of the characters speak about how the only way they can insure a positive, pleasant future is by marrying well, which is later rejected in a way that asserts that women should be able to choose marriage freely for love, not for position or money and likewise free to choose not to marry.

This book is well loved by so many. It spurs many children on to become strong readers for life and the childhood copy of Little Women will become worn from much loved reading. This book will be loved by most girls, but boys will enjoy it as well. Jo's tomboyish behavior and the neighbor boy, Laurie's presence will attract the attention of boys. It makes a great choice for bedtime reading with chapters of perfect length to read one per night and short enough that if begged by the kids, you can read two. In addition to Little Women, it would also be beneficial to read a biography of Louisa May Alcott.

I strongly recommend an unabridged version. Don't miss out on the well-known sequels Little Men and Jo's Boys.