奧爾科特(Alcott, Louisa May)

(1832.11.29,美國 賓夕法尼亞州 日耳曼敦～1888.3.6,馬薩諸塞州 波士頓)

美國女作傢，以寫兒童讀物聞名。為布洛斯南·奧爾科特之女，成長於波士頓和康科德的先驗論者圈中，後來從事寫作以幫助傢計。她是個積極的廢奴運動者，美國南北戰爭期間誌願去當護士，結果染上傷寒，此後一直沒有完全康復。她的書信集《醫院速寫》(1863)的齣版使她初露頭角。自傳體小說《小婦人》(1868～1869)使她大獲成功，還清債務。隨後，一批以她早年經曆為題材的作品相繼問世，分包括《墨守成規的姑娘》(1870)、《小男兒》(1871)、《喬的男孩們》(1886)。

It is no surprise that Little Women, the adored classic of four sisters and their enduring devotion to and protection of one another, was loosely based on Louisa May Alcott's own life. Alcott drew from her own personality to create a unique protagonist: Jo, willful, headstrong, and undoubtedly the backbone of the March family, is a heroine unlike any seen before. Follow the sisters from innocent adolescence to sage adulthood, with all the joy and sorrow of life in between, and fall in love with them and this endearing story.

Praised by Madeleine Stern as "a book on the American home, and hence universal in its appeal," Little Women has been an avidly read, and reread, tale for generations. This Modern Library Paperback Classics edition includes newly written notes that offer more description and insight than those of previous editions.