Little Women

Published in 1868

Categories: For TeensClassics for Adults

Four sisters in colourful dresses by a window with red curtains, one reading a book while the others listen
Illustration: Jessie Willcox Smith, "Little Women" (1923)

Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March are four sisters growing up in Massachusetts while their father is away at the Civil War. Money is short, but the house is full of plays, quarrels, dreams and kindness, and next door lives a lonely rich boy named Laurie. Louisa May Alcott drew on her own family for this much-loved novel of 1868 and 1869, and Jo, who wants to be a writer, is very much like her. Both parts of the book are here, complete.

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1 Chapter 1: Playing Pilgrims About 20 min 2 Chapter 2: A Merry Christmas About 20 min 3 Chapter 3: The Laurence Boy About 15 min 4 Chapter 4: Burdens About 20 min 5 Chapter 5: Being Neighborly About 20 min 6 Chapter 6: Beth Finds the Palace Beautiful About 10 min 7 Chapter 7: Amy’s Valley of Humiliation About 10 min 8 Chapter 8: Jo Meets Apollyon About 20 min 9 Chapter 9: Meg Goes to Vanity Fair About 25 min 10 Chapter 10: The P.c. and P.o About 15 min 11 Chapter 11: Experiments About 20 min 12 Chapter 12: Camp Laurence About 30 min 13 Chapter 13: Castles in the Air About 15 min 14 Chapter 14: Secrets About 15 min 15 Chapter 15: A Telegram About 15 min 16 Chapter 16: Letters About 15 min 17 Chapter 17: Little Faithful About 10 min 18 Chapter 18: Dark Days About 15 min 19 Chapter 19: Amy’s Will About 15 min 20 Chapter 20: Confidential About 10 min 21 Chapter 21: Laurie Makes Mischief, and Jo Makes Peace About 20 min 22 Chapter 22: Pleasant Meadows About 10 min 23 Chapter 23: Aunt March Settles the Question About 20 min 24 Chapter 24: Gossip About 20 min 25 Chapter 25: The First Wedding About 10 min 26 Chapter 26: Artistic Attempts About 15 min 27 Chapter 27: Literary Lessons About 15 min 28 Chapter 28: Domestic Experiences About 25 min 29 Chapter 29: Calls About 20 min 30 Chapter 30: Consequences About 20 min 31 Chapter 31: Our Foreign Correspondent About 15 min 32 Chapter 32: Tender Troubles About 20 min 33 Chapter 33: Jo’s Journal About 20 min 34 Chapter 34: Friend About 25 min 35 Chapter 35: Heartache About 15 min 36 Chapter 36: Beth’s Secret About 10 min 37 Chapter 37: New Impressions About 20 min 38 Chapter 38: On the Shelf About 20 min 39 Chapter 39: Lazy Laurence About 20 min 40 Chapter 40: The Valley of the Shadow About 10 min 41 Chapter 41: Learning to Forget About 20 min 42 Chapter 42: All Alone About 15 min 43 Chapter 43: Surprises About 25 min 44 Chapter 44: My Lord and Lady About 10 min 45 Chapter 45: Daisy and Demi About 10 min 46 Chapter 46: Under the Umbrella About 20 min 47 Chapter 47: Harvest Time About 20 min