Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888) was an American writer best known for the classic novel Little Women (1868), a semi-autobiographical story about four sisters growing up in New England that became one of the most beloved works of nineteenth-century American literature. Raised in an intellectually vibrant environment, Alcott began writing at a young age and eventually turned to literature as a profession. In addition to Little Women, she wrote several sequels and novels for young readers, including Little Men (1871), Jo’s Boys (1886), and Eight Cousins (1875). She also published darker sensation stories under the pseudonym A. M. Barnard. Alcott achieved immense popularity and became one of the most widely read American authors of the nineteenth century.