21 h 57 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 21 h 57 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Four sisters dream of different futures, but how do they grow without growing apart?
In a cold New England living room, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March complain about Christmas without presents. Their family has lost its money, and their father serves as a chaplain with the Union army. With Marmee guiding them, the sisters face small disappointments and hard choices that test their kindness.
Louisa May Alcott gives each sister a wish of her own. Meg loves pretty things, Jo wants to write, Beth treasures music and home, and Amy dreams of becoming an artist. As they quarrel, work, and fall in love, they must decide what matters most—and what they are willing to change.
What you’ll discover
- Four distinct sisters Meet girls whose clashing tempers and shared affection make family life feel warm and real.
- Jo's restless ambition Follow a fiery young writer as she wrestles with temper, independence, and the desire for fame.
- Kindness put to work A Christmas breakfast given away turns generosity from a fine idea into a concrete choice.
- Friendship next door Discover Laurie, the lonely neighbor whose lively spirit finds friendship among the March sisters.
- Goodness without dullness Explore how pride, vanity, and anger test people who genuinely want to do better.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy warm family stories, sisters who tease and comfort each other, and heroines who try to improve themselves. It suits anyone who likes humor, friendship, and lessons about money, work, and love.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A cold Christmas finds four sisters grumbling
- Giving away breakfast brings an unexpected feast
- Jo and the Laurence boy find a friend
- Burdens at work and a piano given in kindness
- Jo learns how dangerous her temper can be
- Fine clothes and a week of play teach lessons
- Jo gives up her hair and a telegram arrives
- Every sister has a fault she must work at
- Love and money pull at Meg while home stays rich
- A warm narrator and a pilgrim's map shape the story
Who’s who
- Jo MarchThe second sister, a tall, blunt, boyish girl with a quick temper who loves books and dreams of becoming a writer.
- Meg MarchThe eldest sister, pretty and gentle, who works as a governess and longs for comfort and fine things.
- Beth MarchThe shy, musical third sister who stays close to home and loves her piano and her dolls.
- Amy MarchThe youngest, artistic and image-conscious sister who wants to be an artist and to rise in the world.
- MarmeeMrs. March, the wise, patient mother who guides her daughters with advice and her own example.
- LaurieTheodore Laurence, the lively, lonely boy next door who becomes the sisters' closest friend.
- Mr. LaurenceLaurie's stern, kind grandfather, a rich neighbor who comes to love the March girls.
- Mr. BrookeLaurie's calm tutor, who helps the family in a crisis and quietly admires Meg.
Formats and delivery
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- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy
by Louisa May Alcott · 1868
Four sisters knit, quarrel, and play pilgrims in a cold Civil War winter while their father is away at the front.
ChallengingOver 20 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
Would you give away your Christmas breakfast to a hungry family when you have no presents and your own stomach is empty? Four sisters do exactly that on the first morning of Little Women, and the scene shows what kind of book this is.
Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy at a glance
- Reading time
- About 12 h 40 min10 h fast, 15 h 5 min slow
- Length
- 180,700 words47 chapters
- Pages
- 539 pages
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
- First published
- 1868by Louisa May Alcott
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A cold Christmas finds four sisters grumbling
The book opens on Christmas Eve, where four girls sit by the fire and complain. Jo says Christmas will not feel like Christmas without presents. Meg sighs over her old dress, and Amy sniffs at the unfairness of being poor. Only Beth reminds them that they still have Father and Mother and each other.
Each girl owns one dollar and wants something for herself. Then they decide to spend it on a gift for Marmee instead. Meg is pretty and a little vain. Jo is blunt and boyish. Beth is shy and musical, and Amy fusses over her nose.
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Also in the Louisa May Alcott Book Set: Three Novels
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- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1868
- Language
- English
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-women-or-meg-jo-beth-and-amy.
Alcott, L. M. (2026). Little women; or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-women-or-meg-jo-beth-and-amy (Original work published 1868)
Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-women-or-meg-jo-beth-and-amy.
@book{alcott2026little,
author = {Alcott, Louisa May},
title = {Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-women-or-meg-jo-beth-and-amy},
note = {First published 1868}
}
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What is Little Women about?
It follows four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, as they grow up in a loving but poor New England family during the Civil War. Each tries to overcome a fault while pursuing her own dream.
Who are the four March sisters?
Meg is the eldest and loves comfort. Jo is the tomboy writer with a quick temper. Beth is the shy, musical sister who loves home. Amy is the youngest, an artist who wants to rise in the world.
Why is the book connected to Pilgrim's Progress?
Their mother reminds the girls of a childhood game based on John Bunyan's old story. She asks them to treat their faults as burdens on a real journey toward goodness, and the chapters echo that road.
The author
Louisa May Alcott
1832–1888 · American novelist
Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888) was an American novelist born in Germantown, Pennsylvania. She lived mainly in Massachusetts, including Boston and Concord. She wrote Little Women, published in two parts in 1868 and 1869, An Old-Fashioned Girl in 1870, Little Men in 1871, and Work: A Story of Experience in 1873.
More by Louisa May Alcott
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