The Annotated Little Women (The Annotated Books) (eBook)

The Pulitzer Prizewinning biographer of Louisa May Alcott illuminates the world of Little Women and its author.Since its publication in 186869, Little Women, perhaps Americas most beloved childrens 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, stunning art by Norman Rockwell, and iconic illustrations by childrens-book illustrators Alice Barber Stevens, Frank T. Merrill, and Jessie Wilcox Smith.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 editionelder daughter Annas wedding dress, the Alcott sisters theater costumes, sister Mays art, and Abba Alcotts recipe bookreaders discover the extraordinary links between the real and the fictional family.Mattesons annotations evoke the once-used objects and culture of a distant but still-relevant time, from the horse-drawn carriages to the art Alcott carefully placed in her story to references to persons little known today. His brilliant introductory essays examine Little Womens pivotal place in childrens literature and tell the story of Alcott herselfa tale every bit as captivating as her fiction.