Louisa May Alcott

Born in 1832 the second of four daughters to Amos and Abigail Alcott, Louisa was known to have a very bad temper. Her family struggled financially. Her mother had to work hard because her father had a hard time maintaining a job. As a child, Louisa and her sisters had grand imaginations. They would make up stories and plays. They pretended to be fairies in the woods.

Louisa began writing to try to bring in money for the family. Her first poem was published in Peterson’s Magazine. It didn’t bring in a lot of money, but it gave Louisa a lot of confidence. She served as a nurse to wounded soldiers in World War I until she became ill. She almost died before she miraculously recovered. Louisa struggled with illness the rest of her life.

Louisa is best known for Little Women, a book that received immediate success. The book was based on Louisa’s life with her family. This book helped Louisa become an established author. She would go on to write other books, such as Good Wives, Little Men, and many more. The books Little Women and Little Men have been made into plays, as well as movies.