Work

Whether one is reading them for the first time or re-reading old favorites, the titles in this series seem like old friends. Mature readers can revisit timeless treasures; young, struggling, or reluctant readers are given a format that helps them connect to the great body of American and world literature. In this story of a woman's search for a meaningful life, Alcott moves outside the family setting of her best-known works. Originally published in 1872, Work is both an exploration of Alcott's personal conflicts and a social critique, examining women's independence, the moral significance of labor, and the goals to which a woman can aspire. Influenced by Transcendentalism and by the Women's Rights movement, it affirms the possibility of a feminized utopian society.