"Little Women" is a Tender Exploration of Girlhood

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is one of those books I always knew I'd love long before reading it. I was first introduced to the story in my early childhood, when I watched the 1994 film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Bale. Though I forgot the plot as I aged, I remembered the way the movie made me feel--appreciative of the many highlights and hardships of girlhood. 

Flash forward to 2019, and one of my favorite directors (Greta Gerwig) was putting out a remake of the film, this time starring some of my favorite actors (Saoirse Ronan, Timothee Chalamet, and Emma Watson, to name a few). I vowed this time to read the book before watching the movie, but of course never got around to it by the time the film was released. Not wanting to miss out on pop-cultural conversations however, I still decided to watch the remake, and found myself once more enchanted by the story of the March sisters. 

This past Christmas I was finally given a reason to read the book that I had inexplicably put off since childhood, as I was gifted a Penguin classics copy of the 1868 novel. I devoured this book in a way that I haven't in quite some time, and my suspicions were confirmed: I really did love the novel from cover to cover. 

The escapades and adventures of the March girls immediately transported me to my childhood. I was reminded of my own experiences in my youth, filled with hours spent playing outside with neighbors, creation of imaginary worlds, and dreams of castles in the air. Little Women is truly an ode to girlhood, a rare literary gem even in today's world. 

Through the chronicles of the March sisters one comes to appreciate and acknowledge the many burdens and joys along the journey little girls take to become little women. To be a woman is one of life's most complex and yet beautiful experiences, and Alcott masterfully displays this reality through the sisterhood of her characters. 

I would make this book required reading for any woman, little or otherwise. If you pick up a copy of this novel I hope it brings you as much joy as it did me.