Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters - Softcover

Rioux, Anne Boyd

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0393357279 ISBN 13: 9780393357271

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019

Synopsis

“[An] affectionate and perceptive tribute.”―Wendy Smith, Boston Globe

In Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy, Anne Boyd Rioux brings a fresh and engaging look at the circumstances leading Louisa May Alcott to write Little Women and why this beloved story of family and community ties set in the Civil War has resonated with audiences across time.

30 illustrations

About this title

About the Author:

Anne Boyd Rioux, a professor at the University of New Orleans, is the author of Constance Fenimore Woolson: Portrait of a Lady Novelist and Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters, and the editor of Woolson’s Miss Grief and Other Stories. Rioux has received two National Endowment for the Humanities Awards, one for public scholarship, and lives in New Orleans.

Review:

“Lively and informative...Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy does what―ideally―books about books can do: I’ve taken Little Women down from my shelf and put it on top of the books I plan to read.”
- Francine Prose, New York Times Book Review

“Highly entertaining...[Rioux] paints a compelling portrait of Alcott, giving us fascinating insights into the creation of Little Women.”
- Charlotte Gordon, Washington Post

“An adroit consideration of Alcott and her milieu.... Thoughtful.”
- Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal

“A love letter written not by a smitten youngster naive to her beloved's drawbacks but by a mature adult who can recognize complexity and nuance.”
- Ilana Masad, NPR

“This delightful look at a great American classic...tells the book’s history, explores its abiding appeal, and considers its influence on generations of readers and writers since. It goes without saying that lovers of that book will adore this book. But even those who haven’t read Little Women will enjoy learning about the literary history behind it.”
- Christian Science Monitor

“Highly companionable and illuminating.”
- Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair

“Engrossing.”
- Los Angeles Times

“With impeccable research and genuine affection, [Rioux] charts the history of the beloved...novel.”
- Connie Ogle, Newsday

“Rioux considers the cultural impact and enduring popularity of Louisa May Alcott’s American Civil War-set novel Little Women, a runaway success since it was first published 150 years ago.”
- Daily Mail (UK)

“Straddling the line between entertainment and nuanced complexity, this fascinating look at Alcott’s novel is not to be missed.”
- A Mighty Girl

About this edition

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0393357279
• ISBN 13: 9780393357271
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288