Little Women facts for kids

This page is about the novel. For other uses, see Little Women (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Little Women
First volume of Little Women (1868)
Author	Louisa May Alcott
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Little Women
Genre	Coming of age Bildungsroman
Publisher	Roberts Brothers
Publication date	1868 (1st volume) 1869 (2nd volume)
Media type	Print
Pages	759
Followed by	Little Men

Little Women is a famous novel written by American author Louisa May Alcott. It was first published in two parts, in 1868 and 1869. The story is about four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March—as they grow up from girls into young women.

The book is based on Alcott's own life and her three sisters. Because of this, it's often called an autobiographical novel. Little Women became very popular right away. Readers loved the characters and wanted to know more about them. Alcott quickly wrote a second part, which was sometimes called Good Wives. Both parts were later combined into one book titled Little Women. Alcott also wrote two more books about the March sisters: Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886).

The novel explores important themes like home life, work, and finding true love. These ideas are all connected and help the characters discover who they are. Many people believe Little Women created a new kind of story for girls. It blended exciting children's tales with emotional novels. Some even say it introduced the idea of the "All-American girl" through the different personalities of the March sisters.

Little Women has been translated into many languages. It has also been made into plays, movies, and TV shows many times.

The Story Behind Little Women

In 1868, Louisa May Alcott's publisher, Thomas Niles, asked her to write a book for girls. He thought it would be very popular. Alcott wasn't sure about it. She preferred writing short stories and felt she didn't know much about girls, only her own sisters. Her father also encouraged her to write the book.

Alcott wrote in her journal that she would "try" to write a girl's book. She set the story in an imaginary "Orchard House," like her own home where she wrote the novel. She later said she didn't think she could write a good book for girls and didn't really enjoy writing it. She felt like she was just "plodding along."

By June, Alcott sent the first chapters to Niles. Both thought they were a bit boring. But Niles's niece, Lillie Almy, read them and loved them! Other girls who read the full story also thought it was "splendid." Alcott realized these girls were the best critics. She wrote Little Women very quickly to earn money. But its huge success surprised both her and her publisher.

Little Women is part of a literary movement called "realism" from the mid-1800s. Realism focused on showing everyday life in a natural way. Alcott did this by showing the real experiences of women. She showed how the characters talked, worked, played, and grew up. Readers could feel the joys and sadness of the March family. They could also understand what it was like to be a woman in the 1800s.

One real part of life Alcott focused on was marriage. Most women in the 1800s got married. But Alcott showed the March women having equal partnerships in their marriages. She wanted to teach young women about the importance of husbands and wives being equal. You can see this in the relationships of Mr. and Mrs. March, and Meg and John Brooke. They both shared decisions and responsibilities in their homes.

What "Little Women" Means

The phrase "little women" has a special meaning. It describes the time in a young woman's life when she is leaving childhood but not yet a full adult. Each March sister has an experience that shows her that childhood is over. They then face the challenges of becoming young women.

The March Sisters' Story

The story begins with Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy, and their mother, Marmee. They live in a new neighborhood in Massachusetts. Their family used to be wealthy but lost all their money. Their father is away serving as a chaplain in the American Civil War.

The family faces their first Christmas without him. Marmee asks the girls to give their Christmas breakfast to a poor family. The girls and their mother take baskets of food to hungry children in town. When they return, their rich neighbor, Mr. Laurence, sends them a big surprise dinner. This act of kindness helps the two families become friends.

Meg and Jo work to help the family. Meg teaches children in a nearby family. Jo helps her wealthy great-aunt March in her mansion. Beth is too shy for school and helps with housework. Amy is still in school.

Each sister has a different personality. Meg is beautiful and traditional. Jo is a tomboy who loves to write. Beth is quiet, a peacemaker, and plays the piano. Amy is an artist who dreams of elegance and high society. The sisters try to improve themselves. Meg can be vain, Jo is hot-headed, Beth is very shy, and Amy can be materialistic. Laurie, Mr. Laurence's grandson, becomes a close friend to the sisters, especially Jo.

As the war continues, the girls stay busy. Jo writes a novel that gets published. But she is frustrated by having to shorten it and by mixed reviews. Meg goes to parties with rich friends. Laurie is invited to one of the dances. Meg's friends mistakenly think she is in love with Laurie. But Meg is more interested in John Brooke, Laurie's tutor.

News arrives that Mr. March is sick with pneumonia. Marmee leaves to care for him in Washington, D.C. Mr. Laurence sends John Brooke to help Marmee. While in Washington, Brooke tells Meg's parents he loves her. They are happy but think Meg is too young to marry. So, Brooke agrees to wait.

While Marmee is away, Beth gets scarlet fever after visiting a poor family. Three children in that family die. To keep Amy safe, she is sent to live with Aunt March. Jo, who already had scarlet fever, takes care of Beth. After many days, the doctor tells them to send for Marmee. Beth recovers, but her health is never the same.

While Brooke waits for Meg to be old enough to marry, he joins the military. After being wounded, he returns home to find work. He wants to buy a house for when he and Meg marry. Laurie goes to college. On Christmas Day, a year after the story began, the girls' father returns home.

Part Two: Growing Up and Finding Love

(This part was published separately in the United Kingdom as Good Wives)

Three years later, Meg and John get married. They learn to adjust to married life. When they have twins, Meg becomes a devoted mother. John starts to feel a bit left out. Meg asks Marmee for advice. Marmee helps her find a balance between being a wife and a mother. She also encourages John to help more with the children.

Laurie graduates from college. Amy is chosen to go on a trip to Europe with her aunt instead of Jo. Beth's health is still weak from scarlet fever, which makes her sad. Jo realizes that Laurie has fallen in love. At first, she thinks it's with Beth, but soon she knows it's with her. Jo tells Marmee that she loves Laurie like a brother, not in a romantic way.

Jo wants an adventure and to get away from Laurie, hoping he will get over his feelings. She spends six months in New York City. She lives with a friend of her mother's who runs a boarding house. Jo works as a governess for two children there. She also takes German lessons from Professor Friedrich Bhaer, another boarder. He came from Berlin to care for his sister's orphaned sons. Jo secretly writes romance stories for newspapers to earn extra money. Friedrich suspects her secret and tells her that such writing is not very good. This makes Jo decide to stop writing those kinds of stories. As Jo's time in New York ends, she doesn't realize that Friedrich is in love with her. When she returns to Massachusetts, Laurie proposes marriage, but Jo says no.

Laurie travels to Europe with his grandfather to get over his heartbreak. Back home, Beth's scarlet fever has left her permanently weak. Jo dedicates herself to caring for her dying sister. Laurie meets Amy in Europe and slowly falls in love with her. He sees her in a new way. Amy is not impressed by his aimless and sad attitude since Jo rejected him. She inspires him to find a purpose in life. News of Beth's death brings them closer, and a romance grows. Amy's aunt won't let Amy return home with Laurie and his grandfather without a chaperone. So, Amy and Laurie get married before leaving Europe.

Friedrich visits the Marches in Massachusetts. He proposes to Jo, who realizes she loves him, and they get engaged. Because Friedrich is poor, he needs to find a good job first. He goes west to teach. A year passes without much success. Later, Aunt March dies and leaves her large estate, Plumfield, to Jo. Jo marries Friedrich and turns the house into a school for boys. They have two sons. Amy and Laurie have a daughter. At apple-picking time, Marmee celebrates her 60th birthday at Plumfield. She is with her husband, her three surviving daughters, their husbands, and five grandchildren.

Meet the Characters

Margaret "Meg" March

Meg is the oldest sister, 16 years old when the story begins. She is described as very beautiful. She helps manage the household when her mother is away. Meg has long brown hair, blue eyes, and lovely hands. She is seen as the prettiest sister. Meg fits the expectations for women of her time. She is almost a perfect "little woman" from the start. Before marrying John Brooke, she often teaches her younger sisters how to be proper "little women."

Meg works as a governess for a rich local family. She attends high society events. Her friend Laurie teases her for acting snobby. Meg marries John Brooke, Laurie's tutor. They have twins, Margaret "Daisy" Brooke and John Laurence "Demi" Brooke. Later, they have another daughter, Josephine "Josie" Brooke.

Josephine "Jo" March

Jo is the main character, 15 years old at the start of the book. She is strong-willed and struggles to control her fiery temper.

Jo is the second oldest sister. She is masculine, smart, and the most creative in the family. Her father calls her his "son Jo." Laurie, her best friend, sometimes calls her "my dear fellow." Jo has a "hot" temper that often gets her into trouble. With help from her sister Beth and her mother, she learns to control it. Many of Louisa May Alcott's own traits are seen in Jo. Alcott herself was a tomboy who loved boys' activities like running and climbing trees.

Jo loves to read and write. She creates plays for her sisters to perform and writes short stories. At first, she doesn't want to get married. She fears it would break up her family and separate her from her sisters. While pursuing a writing career in New York City, she meets Professor Friedrich Bhaer, a German teacher. When she returns home, Laurie proposes to Jo, but she says no. This shows her independence. She also feels that Laurie's love for her is more like a brotherly love, not romantic love.

After Beth dies, Professor Bhaer visits Jo at her home. They decide to share life's challenges together. Jo is 25 when she accepts his proposal. They marry later, after she inherits her Aunt March's home. They have two sons, Robert "Rob" Bhaer and Theodore "Ted" Bhaer. Jo also writes the first part of Little Women during the second half of the novel.

Elizabeth "Beth" March

Beth is 13 when the story starts. She is described as kind, gentle, sweet, shy, quiet, honest, and musical. She is the shyest March sister and plays the piano for the family. Beth is wise and peaceful. She gently reminds her sisters when they argue. As her sisters grow up, they start to leave home. But Beth doesn't want to leave her house or family. She is especially close to Jo. When Beth gets scarlet fever, Jo takes care of her constantly. Beth recovers from the illness, but her health is permanently weakened.

As she gets older, Beth realizes her time with her family is ending. The family eventually accepts that Beth will not live much longer. They make a special room for her, filled with her favorite things: kittens, her piano, her father's books, Amy's sketches, and her dolls. She keeps busy knitting and sewing for children. But eventually, her sewing needle feels too "heavy." Beth's final illness deeply affects her sisters, especially Jo. Jo decides to live her life with more thought and care for everyone. Beth's death is a big loss in Little Women. She gives up her life, knowing it had a quiet, loving meaning within her home.

Amy Curtis March

Amy is the youngest sister, 12 years old when the story begins. She loves art. She is described as a "snow-maiden" with curly golden hair and blue eyes. She is "pale and slender" and always carries herself like a proper young lady. She is the artist of the family. Because she is the youngest, she is often pampered. Amy can be vain and self-centered, but she deeply loves her family. Her middle name is Curtis, and she is the only March sister who uses her full name.

Amy's aunt chooses her to go to Europe instead of Jo. There, she grows up and decides what to do with her artistic talent. She meets Theodore "Laurie" Laurence and his grandfather during her long visit. Amy is the least likely of the sisters to make sacrifices. She behaves well in high society and is comfortable with herself. Amy's character develops throughout her teenage years and early adulthood. She confidently tells Laurie off when she thinks he is wasting his life. Amy works hard to get what she wants and makes the most of her success. She marries Laurie after Jo rejects him. They have a daughter named Elizabeth "Bess" Laurence, named after her late sister, Beth.

Other Important Characters

The March Sisters by Pablo Marcos

Margaret "Marmee" March – The girls' mother. She leads the household while her husband is away. She does charity work and lovingly guides her daughters. She tells Jo that she also has a quick temper but learned to control it. She is like Louisa May Alcott's own mother.
Robert March – The girls' father. He used to be rich but lost his money helping a friend. He is a scholar and a minister. He served as a chaplain in the Union Army during the Civil War and was wounded. After the war, he becomes a minister.
Professor Friedrich Bhaer – A middle-aged, thoughtful, and poor German immigrant in New York City. He was a professor in Berlin. He and Jo become friends. He encourages her to write serious stories instead of silly ones. He and Jo eventually marry and raise his two orphaned nephews, Franz and Emil, and their own sons, Rob and Ted.
John Brooke – Laurie's tutor. He falls in love with Meg. He goes with Mrs. March to Washington D.C. when her husband is sick. He later works for Mr. Laurence. Aunt March threatens to disinherit Meg if she marries him because he is poor. But Meg loves him, and they get engaged. He serves in the Union Army and is wounded. He marries Meg when she turns twenty.
Theodore "Laurie" Laurence – A rich young man who lives across from the Marches. He is older than Jo but younger than Meg. He is the "boy next door" to the March family. His grandfather, Mr. Laurence, is very protective of him. Laurie's parents died young, so his grandfather raised him. He is handsome and charming, with black eyes and curly black hair. He later falls in love with Amy and they marry. They have a daughter named Elizabeth "Bess" Laurence. Jo sometimes calls Laurie "Teddy."
James Laurence – Laurie's grandfather and the March family's wealthy neighbor. He is lonely in his big house. He becomes a kind helper to the Marches. He was friends with Mrs. March's father. He especially likes Beth, who reminds him of his late granddaughter. He gives Beth a piano.
Aunt Josephine March – Mr. March's rich aunt. She can be bossy and judgmental. She doesn't like the family's poverty or their charity work. She disapproves of Meg marrying John Brooke because he is poor. But deep down, she is kind. She dies near the end of the first book and leaves her estate, Plumfield, to Jo.

Where the Story Came From

Louisa May Alcott often used things from her own life as inspiration for her books. The characters in Little Women are based on her family and friends. Her married sister Anna was the model for Meg, the family beauty. Lizzie, Alcott's beloved sister, was the model for Beth. Like Beth, Lizzie was quiet and died young at 23 from scarlet fever. May, Alcott's strong-willed sister, was portrayed as Amy. Alcott herself was Jo. Alcott even responded to readers who called her "Miss March" or "Jo."

However, Alcott's portrayal of her family was an idealized version. For example, Mr. March is shown as a hero of the Civil War and a chaplain. He is away for most of the novel. In real life, Alcott's father, Bronson Alcott, was often home because he couldn't find steady work. He was also loud and bossy. His lack of money was embarrassing for his wife and daughters. The March family is shown as being "genteelly poor," meaning they were once wealthy but now had little money. But the Alcott family faced real poverty and sometimes hunger. Scholars believe Little Women was also inspired by Alcott's mother, Abigail Alcott's, early life.

Little Women also has many references to John Bunyan's novel The Pilgrim's Progress. Jo and her sisters read it at the beginning of the book and try to follow the good example of its main character. Throughout the novel, the characters often compare their own lives to the experiences of the pilgrims in that book. Some chapter titles even directly refer to characters and places from The Pilgrim's Progress.

Alcott also drew inspiration from her earlier short stories and poems. The characters in these works, along with her own family and relationships, helped shape the general ideas and bases for many of the characters in Little Women.

How Little Women Was Published

The first part of Little Women was published in 1868 by Roberts Brothers. The first edition had illustrations by Abigail May Alcott, Louisa's sister who inspired the character Amy March. She found it hard to illustrate her sister's book at first, but later improved her art skills.

The first 2,000 copies sold out very quickly. The publisher had trouble keeping up with the demand. They announced that Little Women was "the great literary hit of the season." The last line of Chapter 23 in the first part says that whether the story continues "depends upon the reception given the first act." Alcott delivered the manuscript for the second part on New Year's Day 1869, just three months after the first part came out.

Today, most versions of Little Women combine both parts into one book. The second part is usually marked as "Part 2" (chapters 24 to 47). Each chapter has a number and a title. Part 2, Chapter 24 begins with: "In order that we may start afresh and go to Meg's wedding with free minds, it will be well to begin with a little gossip about the Marches."

In the UK and Canada, the book is sometimes still published in two volumes, with Good Wives starting three years after Little Women ends. The book is still printed by many publishers in different formats, like hardback, paperback, audio, and e-book. Goodreads also lists the books as the Little Women series, including Little Women, Good Wives, Little Men, and Jo's Boys.

The Book's Impact

Little Women has been one of the most widely read novels. It's considered one of the greatest American stories for girls and families.

In the 1860s, separating children's books by gender was a new idea. This showed a growing difference in how boys and girls were expected to behave. Little Women told the story of young girls growing up. It showed their struggles with being selfish or generous, being true to themselves, and finding their place in the world. Girls who read Little Women connected with the March sisters. They often tried to be like their heroines and brought parts of the story into their own lives.

After reading Little Women, some women felt inspired to find new roles for themselves outside the home. While Little Women showed the normal lives of middle-class American girls, it also made their dreams of doing something different seem possible. More young women started writing adventurous stories. These stories challenged the idea that women should only focus on domestic life. Little Women also helped European immigrants in the United States understand middle-class American culture.

In Little Women, young girls read about ambitious women. This offered a different idea from the usual gender roles. The book constantly stressed the importance of being an "individual" and finding a "female purpose." Little Women has remained popular because its themes are still relevant. It also shows how gender norms have surprisingly stayed similar from the 1860s to the 1960s. People interested in home reform could look to Little Women to see how a "democratic household" could work.

Alcott believed in the value of home life. But she also challenged the idea that unmarried women were unimportant. Little Women expanded the idea of American womanhood. It showed that homes and women's roles could encourage individuality. This helped young adults go out into the world while still thinking critically about society. Like all young people, the March girls had to grow up. These sisters, especially Jo, were worried about adulthood. They feared that if they conformed to society's expectations, they would lose their unique personalities.

Alcott's character Jo also made professional writing seem possible for many generations of women. Famous writers like Maxine Hong Kingston, Margaret Atwood, and J. K. Rowling have said that Jo March influenced their writing careers. Even other fictional stories about young women who want to be writers often mention Jo March.

Little Women is often praised for Jo's journey to become an independent woman with a career. However, the novel celebrates all its women, whether they choose traditional or unconventional paths. Meg chooses to marry and have children, which is a traditional path, but she makes that choice for her own happiness. The book celebrates the freedom of all the sisters and their mother to choose their own lives.

Alcott made women's rights a key part of her stories, especially Little Women. She believed that a democratic household could lead to a feminist society. In Little Women, she imagined that this change could start at Plumfield, a place where women's ideas were valued in the 1800s.

Little Women has a timeless quality. It shows Alcott's understanding of her time in the 1860s. The book's ideas are clear because the author fully controls her story. Equal relationships between men and women lead to happy endings in marriage and family. This is the main idea of Little Women.

Ways Little Women Has Been Adapted

On Stage

Scene from the 1912 Broadway production of Little Women, adapted by Marian de Forest

Katharine Cornell became a star in the 1919 London production of de Forest's adaptation of Little Women

Marian de Forest adapted Little Women for Broadway in 1912. Marie Pavey played Jo. In 1919, the London production made Katharine Cornell a star as Jo.
Playwright Kate Hamill created a new adaptation that premiered in 2018.
Another new adaptation by Lauren Gunderson premiered in 2024.

In Movies

Little Women has been made into a movie seven times.

The first movie was a silent film in 1917. It is now considered a lost film.
Another silent film was released in 1918. This one is also considered a lost film.
George Cukor directed the first sound movie in 1933. It starred Katharine Hepburn as Jo. This film was very popular.
The first color movie was released in 1949. It starred June Allyson as Jo and Elizabeth Taylor as Amy. It won an Oscar for Best Art Direction.
Gillian Armstrong directed a 1994 movie. It starred Winona Ryder as Jo and Christian Bale as Laurie. It received three Academy Award nominations.
A modern film adaptation was released in 2018 to celebrate the novel's 150th anniversary.
Writer and director Greta Gerwig made a 2019 movie. It starred Saoirse Ronan as Jo, Emma Watson as Meg, and Timothee Chalamet as Laurie. This film received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

On Television

Little Women was adapted into a TV musical by Richard Adler for CBS in 1958.
The BBC has made Little Women into a TV series four times: in 1950, 1958, 1970, and 2017. The 2017 series was also shown on PBS.
In 1950, the American show Studio One aired a two-part adaptation.
Universal Television produced a two-part miniseries for NBC in 1978.
In the 1980s, several anime (Japanese animation) versions were made. These included a 1980 special and a 1981 series called Little Women. Another anime, Tales of Little Women, was released in 1987. All were dubbed in English.
In 2012, Lifetime aired The March Sisters at Christmas. This was a modern TV movie about the sisters trying to save their family home.
In 2017, the BBC aired a miniseries adaptation. It starred Maya Hawke as Jo and Emily Watson as Marmee.
A 2018 Indian web series called Haq Se is a modern adaptation set in Kashmir.
A South Korean adaptation was released in 2022 on tvN and Netflix.

Musicals and Opera

A musical with a book by Allan Knee opened on Broadway in 2005.
Eleanor Everest Freer adapted Little Women into an opera in 1934.
The Houston Grand Opera created and performed an opera version in 1998. It was shown on television by PBS in 2001.

Audio Stories

A dramatized audio version was released by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre in 2012.
A radio play by Far From the Tree Productions was released in episodes in 2020.

Other Books Inspired by Little Women

The novel has inspired many other books by different authors, including:

His Little Women by Judith Rossner
The Little Women by Katharine Weber
March by Geraldine Brooks
Little Women and Werewolves by Porter Grand
Little Vampire Women by Lynn Messina
Little Women on Their Own by Jane Nardin
This Wide Night by Sarvat Hasin
Marmee by Sarah Miller
Littler Women by Laura Schaefer
The Spring Girls by Anna Todd
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero and Bre McCoy
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

The novel My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante features a child writer who loves reading Little Women.

Web Series

The March Family Letters was released on YouTube in 2015. It reimagined the story as a series of vlogs (video blogs). The sisters were a modern family in Toronto making vlogs for their mother, who was serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. The characters also had real-life social media accounts.

Images for kids

The attic at Fruitlands where Alcott lived and acted out plays at 11 years old.