Louisa May Alcott 
Little Women 

The four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy live in Concord, Massachussetts, with their beloved mother while their father is stationed far away as an army chaplain in the civil war. Although not well off financially they are nonetheless well known in the neighbourhood for their charitable work. The girls amuse themselves at home with imaginative fun and games, including performing plays and writing sketches. They are the picture of a loving family and each daughter has her own part to play in it. As time passes each sister grows to understand her own strengths and weaknesses. By trial and frequent error, under the supportive eye of their mother, they grow in confidence and find their characters. Many people in the community become very fond of the girls and they forge friendships with numerous neighbours. But difficult situations and decisions lie ahead for the four sisters as the story unfolds. The March girls are so deftly and vividly drawn that everyone who reads this book will identify with one sister in the story, whether they are reading Little Women for the first time as a child or rereading it for the hundredth time as an adult.