TWO New Illustrated Classics: Little Women and Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott

I am so excited to announce TWO new illustrated books, Little Women and Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott, available for pre-order on November 1st.

When I think of the holidays, several books come to mind. These are the cozy books, the heartwarming ones, the ones you want to sit by the fire and muse over for hours on end on a cold, snowy night. One such book is Little Women.

Little Women (Part One) opens on Christmas day. “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents” reads the famous opening line. I love everything about this book, from the moralistic teachings of Marmee, to the sweet sisterly relationships, to the atmospheric scenes and the vivid account of a late 1800s New England upbringing.

What most people think of as Little Women today was actually first published in two volumes, Little Women (1868) and Good Wives (1869). After both volumes were published, American publishers decided to combine the two stories into one book, with Part One being the original Little Women and Part Two being the original Good Wives. Many editions in the US are still published this way, but I have decided to separate the stories once again, accentuating the beauty of each individual storyline. However, I still felt they needed to be released as a pair, because you can’t have Part One without Part Two right? The story must go on! We must see what becomes of the March sisters!

Louisa May Alcott wrote this story as a partially autobiographical account of her own childhood. Like Jo March, Louisa had three sisters; like Jo March, Louisa was a fiery, precocious young woman, who had a penchant for loudly standing up for her strong convictions. She was an early feminist, a suffragette, and an abolitionist.

Louisa May Alcott began to receive critical success for her writing in the 1860s. After serving as a nurse in the Civil War, she wrote an account of her time there in the memoir Hospital Sketches. This was her first successful published work. After this, in an attempt to raise money for her family, she began writing lurid, sensational stories under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard. While these stories did earn her money, she did not rise to popularity until the success of her semi-autobiographical novel Little Women, published in 1868, in which she described the domestic life of the March family, fashioned after herself and her three sisters. In the story, Jo is Louisa, Anna is Meg, Elizabeth is Beth, and Abigail “May” is Amy.

These beautiful hardcover editions of Little Women and Good Wives feature original cover art and several full color illustrations on the inner pages. They are both complete and unabridged. The books will be available exclusively on my website, and will open for pre-order starting on November 1st at 10am CST. All pre-ordered books will receive a free bookplate.

From the back of Little Women:

“Watch and pray, dear, never get tired of trying, and never think it is impossible to conquer your fault.” 

Meet the March sisters: Lovely Meg, who wishes to be a lady; talented Jo, who dreams of being a writer; timid Beth, who loves music and staying home; and spunky Amy, who aspires to be an artist. With the guidance of their wise and loving Marmee, the sisters learn how to be Little Women, sharing in the joys and sorrows of domestic life. Intertwining themes of perseverance, true love, and enduring joy, each sister grows into their individual identities while learning to appreciate and enjoy their interdependence. 

Louisa May Alcott wrote this story as a semi-autobiographical account of her own childhood in Concord, Massachusetts. Her works chronicling domestic adventures and everyday life have endured to this day. This edition has been lovingly brought to life with original illustrations by Haleigh DeRocher.

From the back of Good Wives:

“Life and love are very precious when both are in full bloom.”

The saga of the March sisters continues – Meg enters wedded bliss, Jo begins her career as a writer, Beth stays home as a companion to her mother, and Amy pursues her artistic endeavors. How will the lives of the sisters change as they venture into adulthood?

While Good Wives was initially published as a separate book from Little Women, in 1880 the two volumes were combined into one novel and have been widely published that way ever since. These editions keep the two parts separate to showcase the beauty of each individual story. 

Louisa May Alcott was one of the most renowned female writers of the Gilded Age. Her works chronicling domestic adventures and everyday life have endured to this day. This edition has been lovingly brought to life with original illustrations by Haleigh DeRocher.