The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer illuminates the world of Little Women and its author. Since its publication in 1868-69, Little Women, perhaps America's most beloved children's classic, has been handed down from mother to daughter for generations. It has been translated into more than fifty languages and inspired six films, four television shows, a Broadway musical, an opera, and a web series. This lavish four-color edition features over 220 curated illustrations, including stills from the films, art by Norman Rockwell, and iconic children's-book illustrations. Renowned Alcott scholar John Matteson brings his expertise to the book, to the March family it creates, and to the Alcott family who inspired it all. Through numerous photographs taken in the Alcott family home expressly for this edition--elder daughter Anna's wedding dress, the Alcott sisters' theater costumes, sister May's art, and Abba Alcott's recipe book--readers discover the extraordinary links between the real and the fictional family. Matteson's annotations evoke the once-used objects and culture of a distant but still-relevant time, situating Alcott's work within the world of art, music and literature that defined and inspired her. The book's rich commentaries bring us back in touch with the books Alcott read, the people she knew, the foods she ate. The introductory essays examine the book's pivotal place in children's literature and tell the captivating story of Alcott herself.--Adapted from book jacket.