Little Women brought Louisa May Alcot, name and fortune. Though meant for the young, grown men and women identify completely with the exploits of the March family. None knew Jo as well as Louisa, for the tomboy who grew up into the tall girl with chestnut hair and dark flashing eyes was she herself. The simple, everyday events of the four sisters, and the warmth of their family life have influenced every generation since 1868, the year when it was published. The March sisters live and grow in post-Civil War America, while their father is away serving as a minister to the troops. A lively portrait of nineteenth-century family life, which traces the lives of four sisters: Lovely Meg, talented Jo, frail Beth and spoiled Amy. Through their dreams, plays, pranks, letters, illnesses, and courtships, women of all ages have become a part of this remarkable family. 'Little Women' has been translated into thirty languages and is regarded as Louisa Alcott's greatest contribution to American literature.