For the 150th anniversary of the publication ofLouisa May Alcott'sLittle Women, four acclaimed female authors - includingPulitzer PrizewinnerJane Smileyand In the Dream HouseauthorCarmen MariaMachado- explore their strong lifelong personal engagement with Alcott's novel - what it has meant to them and why it still matters."Reading the 19th-century novel through a contemporary lens, writers Kate Bolick, Jenny Zhang, Carmen Maria Machado and Jane Smiley have...produced essays that are fresh, layered and insightful..."  -Jeffrey Ann Goudie, The Star TribuneEach takes as her subject one of the four March sisters, reflecting on their stories and what they have to teach us about life.Kate Bolickfinds parallels in oldest sister Meg's brush with glamour at the Moffats' ball and her own complicated relationship with clothes.Jenny Zhangconfesses to liking Jo least among the sisters when she first read the novel as a girl, uncomfortable in finding so much of herself in a character she feared was too unfeminine.Carmen Maria Machadowrites about the real-life tragedy of Lizzie Alcott, the inspiration for third sister Beth, and the horror story that can result from not being the author of your own life's narrative. AndJane Smileyrehabilitates the reputation of youngest sister Amy, whom she sees as a modern feminist role model for those of us who are, well, not like the fiery Jo."In addition to sharing literary insights and personal histories, the authors also discuss the extent to which the Marches resembled and diverged from their real-life models: Alcott’s own sisters. Any readers who have ever compared themselves to Meg, Jo, Beth, or Amy - or to all four - will enjoy seeing Alcott’s much-loved classic through these alternate perspectives.”-Publishers WeeklyThese four voices come together to form a deep, funny, far-ranging meditation on the power of great literature to shape our lives.