Just Finished Reading Louisa May Alcott's Little Women

There was a copy of Louisa May Alcott's book Little Women in my home when I was growing up...but being a boy I wasn't about to read it...although come to think of it I did end up reading all of my sister's Donna Parker, Trixie Beldon, and Lennon Sisters books...but Little Women was old.  Well, more than fifty years later it's that much older, but I've aged as well and finally decided to delve into it.  I'm glad I did...

The setting at the start of Little Women is the early 1860s during the American Civil War as the family of a mother and her four adolescent daughters living somewhere (unnamed) in the northeastern U.S. copes with economic hardships while the father is away serving as a Union army chaplain.  The girls, in descending order of age, are Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy...each with her own distinct personality and interests. Meg is the most domestically inclined, Jo is the tomboy with a flair for writing, Beth is a shy, mercifully-inclined lover of music, and Amy, the "baby", is more self-centered and materialistic than the others and loves art.  The story concerns itself with how these girls, in their own individual ways, grow up as they help (and often challenge) each other...while their mother "Marmee" dispenses her own brand of loving wisdom throughout.  Not all is so rosy, though, and tragedies threaten and sadly strike this sweet-spirited family as well.  I wouldn't recommend Little Women for its plot and narrative as much as for its philosophical tone and unforgettable characters, and not just Meg/Jo/Beth/Amy.  The lessons contained in it for better living are not just applicable to young women: demonstrating grace, patience, forgiveness, and generosity, especially during times of hardship, are virtues sourly lacking across the demographic spectrum in today's dog-eat-dog world. Why not check out this great old American classic novel and learn a little for yourself?  Can't hurt...I came out of the experience wanting to read the sequel Little Men, which I understand also features the spunky and outspoken Jo, by far my favorite character in Little Women...