Louisa May Alcott

For generations, children around the world have come of age with Louisa May Alcott's March girls: hardworking eldest sister Meg, headstrong, impulsive Jo, timid Beth, and precocious Amy. With their father away at war, and their loving mother Marmee working to support the family, the four sisters have to rely on one another for support as they endure the hardships of wartime and poverty. We witness the sisters growing up and figuring out what role...

Eight Cousins (1875) is a novel by American author, feminist, and abolitionist Louisa May Alcott. Based on her experience of being raised by a father dedicated to education reform, and grounded in her radical beliefs on the role of women in society, Eight Cousins is a masterpiece of children's literature that explores themes of family, death, and perseverance. Rose Campbell is a young girl when her parents pass away. Orphaned, she is taken to the...

From the author of Little Women: An American classic of young best friends in a rustic New England town.
In post–Civil War New England, thirteen-year-old Jack Minot and Janey Pecq are inseparable best friends who live next door to each other in the town of Harmony Village. The pair does everything together—so much so that Janey is nicknamed “Jill” to fit the old children’s rhyme. One winter day, the...

Venture to a world of fairies and flowers in this nineteenth-century collection of stories and poems from the beloved author of Little Women. At the tender age of sixteen, Louisa May Alcott's imagination was already in full bloom. From tales she told her neighbor, Ellen, daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson, she wove together stories and songs about fairies, elves, talking flowers, and animals. With innocence and whimsy, Alcott revealed the shadowy kingdom...

"Hospital Sketches" by Louisa May Alcott stands as a poignant testament to the human spirit amidst the turmoil of the American Civil War. This slim yet powerful volume encapsulates Alcott's firsthand experiences as a nurse, weaving together a collection of vivid narratives that offer an unfiltered glimpse into the stark realities of wartime hospitals and the resilient souls who inhabited them. In this autobiographical work, Alcott paints a vivid...

This is a collection of seven short stories by Louisa May Alcott, an American novelist best known as author of the novel 'Little Women.' In the mid-1860s, Alcott wrote passionate, fiery novels and sensational stories. She also produced wholesome stories for children, and after their positive reception, she did not generally return to creating works for adults. Alcott continued to write until her death. "These stories were written for my own amusement...

"Work: A Story of Experience" by Louisa May Alcott immerses readers in the compelling narrative of Christie Devon, a young woman navigating the post-Civil War landscape in pursuit of independence and purpose. Set against the backdrop of the societal constraints of the era, this semi-autobiographical novel chronicles Christie's multifaceted journey through various jobs, each offering a glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of a woman seeking self-reliance. Alcott's...

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. 'Love is the only thing that we can carry with us when we go, and it makes the end so easy.' In mid-nineteenth-century Massachusetts, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March continue to encounter both joys and sorrows along life's path, as they journey into womanhood both close to home and further away. The highs and lows of the four young women's lives are shared with...

After being recently, orphaned Rose must live with her aunts, the matriarchs of her wealthy Boston family. When Rose's guardian, Uncle Alec, returns from abroad, he takes over her care. She becomes happier and healthier while finding her place in her family of seven boy cousins and numerous aunts and uncles. Each chapter describes an adventure in Rose's life as she learns to help herself and others make good choices. Rose must define for herself her...

Many great writers are defined and remembered by one piece of work that embeds itself into the culture and continues to be enjoyed by every generation since its publication. For Louisa May Alcott it was the brilliant book, Little Women. She was born in 1832, in Germantown, Pennsylvania, into an educationally progressive but poor family who were Transcendentalists. She received part of her lessons from distinguished family friends such as Henry

...