Little Women follows the four March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Set during the American Civil War, the four sisters struggle to fit in with society as girls were expected to all while living in poverty. Each sister has to overcome some sort of challenge as they grow up; Meg and Jo must work to help support their family, Beth stays at home to help with housework and Amy goes to school. Each girl also struggles with their own character. Meg wishes she didn’t live in poverty, Jo struggles to control her temper and doesn’t want to conform to societal expectations for women, Beth is extremely shy and finds it difficult to talk to people and Amy is materialistic and only thinks of marrying rich so she doesn’t have to work. As the girls continue to grow, they vow to improve themselves and strive to be good members of society, to help their family and to be kind and good people.
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s considered a classic, and some people might find it boring because of all the little details and the descriptions of the March sisters’ daily life, but I believe that’s what makes this book so good. The characters are realistic and relatable, each girl has something that she struggles with that makes her very plainly human for the reader to understand. It’s a story about family and friendship, it has romance and it has humor. The little details are what make the story even better, because it truly is a story about what it means to grow up as a girl in a male-centric society. Plus, protagonists like Jo March prove that girls don’t have to fit effortlessly into the status quo to still find their own way and be happy. I’d highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys classics, it’s a good story for girls and women, and it’s easy to understand.