Great Life Stories: Writers and Poets introduces middle school readers to historic and contemporary literary figures. The books explore how these subjects' lives influenced their creative efforts and how they were affected by the times in which they lived. This book describes the life and work of Louisa May Alcott, a much beloved author. Born in 1832, Alcott grew up in a close family that sometimes struggled financially. She sold her first story around the age of twenty. Some of her best-known works include "Little Women and "Little Men.