Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy
I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all — but the four March sisters have learned to make do. Set in a New England town during the Civil War, the story follows Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they grow up in genteel poverty while their father serves as an army chaplain. Under the steady guidance of their mother, "Marmee," each girl wrestles with her own faults: vain Meg, hot-tempered and bookish Jo, shy and gentle Beth, and proud little Amy. Through homemade theatricals, neighborly friendships, hardship, illness, first love, and quiet sacrifice, the sisters stumble toward womanhood together.
More than a domestic tale, Little Women is a warm, enduring portrait of family, duty, and the struggle to be good. It celebrates ambition and independence — especially through Jo, who longs to write and to live freely beyond the narrow expectations placed on girls. Its blend of humor, tenderness, and moral seriousness has made it beloved for generations.
How it begins
"I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff. "We've got father and mother and each other," said Beth contentedly, from her corner. The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly,— "We haven't got father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never," but each silently added it, thinking of father far away, where the fighting was. Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone,— "You know the reason mother proposed not having any presents this Christmas was because it is going to be a hard winter for every one; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure, when our men are suffering so in the army. We can't do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I am afraid I don't;" and Meg shook her head, as she thought regretfully of all the pretty things she wanted. "But I don't think the little we should spend would do any good. We've each got a dollar, and the army wouldn't be much helped by our giving that.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain.