I was young when I first read this book. It was engaging and not boring like older books might be in my mind. My grandmother had read the book as a girl and she asked me if I cried when Beth died (sorry to those who haven't read it). I think every young girl cries at that point. I would think others would cry when Jo opens the door to find Mr. Baer.
This story is about a young family of mom and 4 girls who try to survive in the north during the Civil War. They have little enough to live on, their father having lost everything in his investments and then having to go off to war. They need to provide for themselves, both for food and entertainment. Their mother goes off to help the less fortunate and when typhoid hits, the daughters take care of those families, Beth especially.
As they grow, we learn about each of their strenghts. Meg the mother, Beth the peacekeeper, Jo the writer and Amy the socialite. We meet their neighbor, the elder Mr. Lawrence and his nephew Laurie. We read about the "upper crust" and the cruelty of not having enough money to fit in. We share their triumphs, enjoy their plays and cry at the heartbreaks.
This timeless classic is written in such a way that Alcott leads you to believe it could take place in any time and in any country. Readers bond with the characters and want to be their friends. In the end, for the unsuspecting reader, there is joy that a sequel was written in the form of Little Men. Of course, the reader then must re-read Little Women.
