Little Women book club questions

The reading plan

Meeting 1: Chapters 1 to 15

1. When the sisters give their breakfast to hungry neighbors, where would you draw the line between generosity and giving too much?
2. How should the family balance Amy's need for comfort with the lesson about pride after her school punishment?
3. How does the skating accident change what matters in Jo and Amy's conflict?
4. What does Meg's experience suggest about the difference between being admired and feeling valued?
5. Does the failed week of leisure make a stronger case for duty or for learning how to use freedom?

Meeting 2: Chapters 16 to 32

6. How should responsibility be shared when Beth falls ill after helping others and the sisters confront neglected duties?
7. How much should Laurie's prank shape your judgment of Jo's decision to settle his quarrel with his grandfather?
8. Does Meg's acceptance of John after her aunt's warning seem more like independence or a reaction to pressure?
9. How should Jo weigh family earnings against conflicting advice and painful reviews when deciding what to write?
10. What do the failed preserves and costly silk suggest about the effort involved in sharing domestic burdens?

Meeting 3: Chapters 33 to 47

11. When Jo chooses conscience over earnings, what should count as success for her writing?
12. How should the pain of Laurie's confession affect your judgment of Jo's refusal, if at all?
13. What does Meg's restored companionship suggest about the relationship between shared work and affection?
14. What makes Amy's challenge to Laurie's idle life helpful honesty rather than an intrusion?
15. How do you read Jo's acceptance of a new duty toward her parents alongside the loss of Beth?

Themes to talk about

Tips for the host

1. Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
2. Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.