Little Women

Louisa May Alcott (1832-88) was brought up in Pennsylvania, USA. She turned to writing in order to supplement the family income and had many short stories published in magazines and newspapers. Then, in 1862, during the height of the American Civil War, Louisa went to Georgetown to work as a nurse, but she contracted typhoid. Out of her experiences she wrote Hospital Sketches (1864) which won wide acclaim, followed by an adult novel, Moods.

She was reluctant to write a children's book but then realized that in herself and her three sisters she had the perfect models. The result was Little Women (1868) which became the earliest American children's novel to become a classic

Including an introduction from writer and feminist activist Scarlett Curtis, curator of Sunday Times Bestseller Feminists Don't Wear Pink.

Now a major new movie, starring Saoirse Ronan, Timothee Chalamet and Meryl Streep

Meet the March Sisters:
· Meg is the eldest and on the brink of love.
· Then there's tomboy Jo who longs to be a writer.
· Sweet-natured Beth always puts others first
· Finally there's Amy, the youngest and most precocious.

Even though money is short, times are tough and their father is away at war, their infectious sense of fun sweeps everyone up in their adventures - including Laurie, the boy next door.

And through sisterly squabbles and tragic losses, the sisters discover that growing up is sometimes very hard to do.

The Sisterhood collection celebrates the best-loved classics, written by some of the best female authors in history for International Women's Day. Read the rest of the collection:

The Railway Children
Heidi
Pride and Prejudice
A Little Princess
Anne of the Green Gables