Louisa May Alcott’s most well-renown classic, Little Women, has been well-loved by readers everywhere for decades, and it’s easy to see why.

 Not only is the book filled with warmth and the beauty of family and childhood, but its characters and plot are incredibly believable, more so than most books you may read. It is because the story is in fact simplistic, regarding the lives of the March sisters and what happens in their beautifully ordinary life, that it so easily draws in the reader. Many stories go above and beyond what can be believable when it comes to the plot and therefore can disconnect the reader from the book because the sense of relatability is then gone. However, such is not the case with Little Women, as the story takes place on a smaller, simpler scale, seldom varying away from what goes on in the March family home, and is, therefore, all the more lovable and sweet.

Though I will not skip over the fact that yes, there were some slower, less interesting parts, overall the book was a sweet read filled with moral lessons that can still be understood and implemented today, and lovable, though humanly flawed characters. No such one character is perfect or entirely likable within this book, as is almost always the case for the protagonist, who is always the unassuming yet nearly perfect hero. Each of the March sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy), all have their own fair share of flaws and imperfections, and this is clearly depicted from the beginning of the book, adding a level of realism and humanity to what otherwise would have been a rather slow-paced story. 

Little Women is indeed a very long book; but a worthwhile, cozy read, the length being attributed to the fact that it spans over a long duration of time, as the book first begins in the midst of childhood and ends many years later. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a big fan of other classics or simply want a book that is a good, light-hearted read without losing any of its lifelike qualities.

-Aisha

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.