Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott
The story of how four young sisters grow to adulthood.
50 chapters · 186,096 words · about 13 hours
Contents
About this book
Little Women is the classic coming-of-age tale of four sisters on their journey to adulthood. Though today it’s considered a classic, Little Women almost wasn’t written: Alcott wanted to publish a collection of short stories instead, but her publisher and her father pressed her to write a book that would appeal to a wide audience of young girls.
The first volume was written quickly and published in 1868; it was a huge success, and Alcott composed the second volume just as quickly and published it in 1869. By her own account she didn’t enjoy writing them, and both she and her publisher agreed the first few chapters were dull—so it almost goes without saying she was pleasantly shocked at the positive reception the volumes received.
By 1927 it had been acknowledged as one of the most widely read novels of the era, and remains widely read today.
About this edition
This edition comes from Standard Ebooks, whose volunteers carefully proofread public-domain books and give their own work to the public domain too. The book is in the public domain in the US, and wherever copyright ends 70 years after its author’s death, so you’re free to read, copy and share it.
The cover is adapted from They All Drew to the Fire, a painting completed in 1915 by Jessie Willcox Smith.