An illustration from the first edition of Little Women, Roberts Brothers, 1868
Public Domain image via Wikimedia Commons. Creator: Alcott. All image credits.

Book in short

Little Women summary

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, 1868

This Little Women summary covers both parts of Louisa May Alcott’s much-loved novel. Four sisters grow up with little money and a lot of love, and each one has to decide what kind of woman she wants to be.

Author
Louisa May Alcott
First published
Published in Boston by Roberts Brothers in two volumes: the first on 30 September 1868, the second in April 1869.
Length
47 chapters in two parts
Type
Family novel, coming-of-age story
Read the book free
Project Gutenberg eBook #514 (public domain in the US)
This summary
Story in about 2 minutes

The story in short

During the American Civil War, the four March sisters live with their mother, Marmee, in a small New England town. Their father is away serving as an army chaplain, and the family has lost most of its money. Meg, the eldest, is pretty and wants nice things. Jo is a tomboy who writes stories. Beth is shy and loves music. Amy, the youngest, is artistic and a little vain.

On Christmas morning, Marmee asks the girls to give their special breakfast to the Hummels, a poor family nearby. They do, and their rich neighbour, old Mr Laurence, rewards them with a feast. The girls make friends with his lonely grandson, Laurie, who becomes almost a brother to them. Mr Laurence later gives Beth a piano.

The book follows the sisters’ everyday troubles. Amy, angry at Jo, burns Jo’s book manuscript, then nearly drowns when she falls through ice. Meg goes to a fancy party and learns that fine dresses do not make her happy. The girls try a week of doing no chores and find out that “Housekeeping ain’t no joke.”

News comes that their father is very ill in Washington. Jo sells her long hair for twenty-five dollars to help pay for Marmee’s trip. While Marmee is away, Beth catches scarlet fever from the Hummel baby. She survives, but she never fully regains her strength. The first part ends with Father home and Meg engaged to John Brooke, Laurie’s tutor.

In the second part, Meg marries and learns to run a home on a small income. Laurie confesses that he loves Jo, but she does not love him that way and refuses him. To make a fresh start, Jo goes to New York, where she writes exciting stories for money. There she meets Professor Bhaer, a kind, poor German teacher, who gently tells her she can write better things.

Jo comes home to care for Beth, whose health is failing. Beth dies peacefully, and the family grieves. In Europe, Amy meets Laurie again; he grows up, and they fall in love and marry.

Professor Bhaer visits Jo, and they marry too. When Aunt March leaves Jo her big house, Plumfield, Jo and her husband turn it into a school for boys. The book ends with the whole family together, older and wiser, at an apple-picking party.

Spoiler note: this summary tells the whole story, including the ending.

Main characters

  • Jo March: The second sister: bold, funny, hot-tempered and determined to be a writer.
  • Meg March: The eldest, gentle and fond of pretty things, who marries for love.
  • Beth March: The quiet, kind third sister who loves her piano and her family.
  • Amy March: The youngest, an artist who grows from vain child to graceful woman.
  • Marmee: The sisters’ wise, patient mother.
  • Laurie: Theodore Laurence, the rich boy next door and the sisters’ best friend.
  • Professor Bhaer: A kind, poor German teacher who marries Jo.

Themes

  • Family: The March home is warm because everyone helps everyone.
  • Growing up: Each sister moves from childhood dreams to adult choices.
  • Love: Several kinds of love: sisters, friends, and very different marriages.
  • Friendship: Laurie’s friendship with the sisters lasts their whole lives.

Key lessons from Little Women

  1. Small kindnesses matterGiving away their Christmas breakfast teaches the girls that sharing brings more joy than having.
  2. Work on your faultsMarmee admits she also struggles with her temper, and tells Jo to keep trying.
  3. Happiness is not about moneyMeg finds that a simple home with love is better than luxury.
  4. Choose your own pathJo turns down a rich, easy marriage because it is not right for her.
  5. Grief can be borne togetherBeth’s death is sad, but the family holds each other up.

Who should read it?

  • Readers who love warm family stories.
  • Young readers and adults who remember being young.
  • Anyone who has sisters, or wished they did.

Quotes from Little Women

Copied word for word from the public-domain text on Project Gutenberg, with the chapter each line comes from.

  • Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents
    Little Women, Chapter 1
  • never get tired of trying, and never think it is impossible to conquer your fault
    Little Women, Chapter 8
  • I want to do something splendid before I go into my castle
    Little Women, Chapter 13
  • Housekeeping ain’t no joke.
    Little Women, Chapter 11
  • I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.
    Little Women, Chapter 44

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Frequently asked questions

Does Jo marry Laurie in Little Women?

No. Jo turns down Laurie’s proposal. Laurie later marries Amy, and Jo marries Professor Bhaer.

Which sister dies in Little Women?

Beth. She never fully recovers after scarlet fever, and she dies peacefully in the second part of the book.

Is Little Women based on a real family?

Partly. Louisa May Alcott drew on her own life with her three sisters, and Jo is often seen as a picture of Alcott herself.

What is Good Wives?

Good Wives is the name often used, especially in the UK, for the second volume of Little Women, published in 1869. Most US editions print both parts together as Little Women.

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Sources

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Published 2026-10-27. Last checked 2026-10-27.