Little Women

1955

Central PS1017 L5 1948

London: Dent

Louisa May Alcott (1832-88) grew up poor but well-educated in Northwest Philadelphia. She was a suffragette and abolitionist, a Civil War nurse, and unusually for the time, a keen runner. To subsidise her family’s income, Alcott began to write fiction. Her biggest success was Little Women, based on a family with four daughters much like her own. The first part of the book was published in 1868, and on New Year’s Day 1869, Alcott presented the second part of Little Women to her publisher; she had written it in just three months. The novel features strong female characters, with the second half considered to be ‘a deeper, more thoughtful work’. On display is an illustrated version published in 1955.