A Hopeful Heart Louisa May Alcott Before Little Women

How did Little Women-- the beloved literary classic and inspiration for Greta Gerwig's acclaimed feature film adaptation--come to be? This stunning biography explores the unique family and unusual circumstances of literary icon Louisa May Alcott.

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. How did these cherished characters come to be? Louisa May Alcott, the author of one of the most famous "girl" books of all time, was anything but a well-mannered young lady. A tomboy as well as a ravenous reader, Louisa took comfort in fictional characters that were as passionate and willful as she was--and whose wild imaginations were a match for her own. She was often found roaming the woods near her home in Concord, Massachusetts, or exploring the natural world in the company of the great Transcendentalist thinkers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Here is a beautiful portrait of Louisa May Alcott, a woman influenced by her father, a penniless philosopher, her mother, with whom she shared a great connection, and, of course, her three sisters. Featuring unique indigo illustrations, Deborah Noyes unveils how Louisa's natural spirit, loving family, and unconventional circumstances inspired the timeless masterpiece that is Little Women.

DEBORAH NOYES is the author of nonfiction and fiction for young readers and adults, including The Magician and the Spirits, Ten Days a Madwoman, and Tooth & Claw, called "accessible history for younger readers" in a starred review from School Library Journal. She has also compiled and edited the short story anthologies Gothic!, The Restless Dead, and Sideshow. You can learn more at deborahnoyes.com and follow her on Twitter @DeborahNoyes.