Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) is the American writer best known for her novel Little Women and such sequels as Little Men and Jo's Boys. Although she was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, she grew up in Boston and Concord, and among the close family friends were: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Margaret Fuller, and other leading intellectuals of the day. Because of the family's financial difficulties, she worked at a variety of jobs including: seamstress, governess, teacher, and domestic servant. However, she also profited from the advanced educational theories of her father Amos Bronson Alcott and the intellectual atmosphere created by the family's circle of friends and acquaintances. Her parents encouraged her writing, which soon began appearing in journals and which gradually became an important revenue stream for the family.

Because she wrote such books as Little Women and edited such monthlies as Merry's Museum for young readers, Louisa May Alcott was long considered a children's author. However, toward the latter part of the 20th century, scholars began paying more attention to her sensational stories and novels which were published anonymously or under such pseudonyms as A. M. Barnard. Though none of these works can be considered outstanding, they reveal Alcott's understanding of literary techniques and conventions, characterization and plot, and her use of detail and vernacular speech to provide a realistic picture of New England life. They also indicated her strong interest in such important issues of the day as: abolition, educational reform, temperance, and women's rights. Though still revered for a handful of juvenile classics, a more complete picture of Louisa May Alcott has emerged.