190 years ago today, a legend was born in a small town in Pennsylvania. Louisa May Alcott was driven to perfection by her transcendentalist father, and educated by greats like Thoreau, Emerson, and Hawthorne. This made her a great writer, but influence from her feminist mother inspired her to write Little Women.
Little Women (Gerwig 2019) via Giphy
The first novel was a smashing success and shot Alcott into stardom. Readers couldn't get enough, and neither can we, 150 years later. The journey of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy from childhood to adulthood is enthralling: the characters are loveable and complex, the story is both serious and heartwarmingly fun, and the writing is great for both children and adults.
Little Women (Gerwig 2019) via Giphy
The success of Little Women earned Louisa May a place among the first great American female novelists. Her influence has not waned over more than a century, with a dozen film and stage adaptations, including the recent Greta Gerwig movie.
Little Women (Gerwig, 2019) via Giphy
At Juniper Books, we too are inspired by her. With the release of Little Women (2019), we released a special edition set of the original novels.
Our designers created an antique floral border jacket with a yellow and pink palette to mirror the feminine nature of the books and reflect the time period in which they were written but with a modern flair.
Happy Birthday, Louisa May Alcott. Thank you for telling your stories to the world.