Little Women series by Louisa May Alcott

There is one certain series of books that makes me feel as if I am in the story. These books are the Little Women series. Although the series was written a long time ago, during the American Civil War, when I read it, it stil makes me feel as if I am in the story. Little Women is about the lives of the four March family sisters, Meg the elegant and responsible, Jo with the feisty nature, Beth the gentle and caring and Amy the youngest who wishes she was older. Over the different books, the sisters grow and change. Reading the books, makes you feel as if you are watching the sisters mature. Meg starts out as a young lady who is very careful about the way she looks, even though the family really don't have much money to spare on frills and fancies. In the first book, Jo is well intentioned, but always seemingto get into trouble; burning Meg's hair, spilling lemonade on her best white gloves and not forgiving Amy for something until they both go through a life-threatening accident. Beth is a young gentle girl, who is always helping and being kind to everyone, from cheering up her sisters to helping people even poorer than her own family. Amy is the youngest of the March family. She is a young girl, who cares most about making her nose look more elegant, saying the most intelligent things (which she usually didn't say quite so intelligently as intentioned) and of course, her talent: painting. In the second book in the series, you see that the girls have changed and grown. meg becomes married to a poor but kind man, which is quite different from how she felt in the first book, about marrying a hadnsome and rich man and living in a huge and magnificent house. Beth becomes ill and weak, from nursing a sick child who turned out to have scarlet fever. Amy goes off to Paris and feels quite a lady. But I think the person who experiences change most in the second book is Jo. Jo faces trouble when she finds that her best friend changes the way he feels about her and even proposes marriage. I think it must have been very hard for Jo then. Jo was very close to her friend, Laurie, but she felt that she couldn't marry him. But Jo knew that once she refused to marry Laurie, their relationship would change. Jo was right. Once Jo refused Laurie, he turned the cold shoulder on her. At this same time, Jo was relieved to ehar that her Aunt was going to Paris, and would be taking one of the sisters with her. Jo assumed that her Aunt would be taking Jo to Paris, and Jo was glad that she would have chance to get away from Laurie, and have a lovely time. Unfortunately for Jo, her Aunt decided that she would take the youngest of the March family sisters, Amy so that Amy could paint all of the lovley scenes in Paris. Jo felt depressed and anguished and knew that she had to start a new part of life, away from Laurie and memories of Amy leaving for Paris. So, Jo became a nanny to two children in a boarding house. There she met a quite unattractive-looking man who was about 10 years older than she was. He was a kind and clever man, but he was very poor and Jo flet sorry for him. The two helllped each other out in hard time, and a warm relationship formed between Jo and this man. But when Jo heard how he disapproved of the way she wrote her stories, she felt bitter and sad. To make things even worse for her, Jo found out that her younger sister Beth was dying. Jo rushed back home at once, leaving her new life and friend behind. When Beth died, Jo felt upset and was not sure what to do. In the end, all is sorted out and Jo again, starts a new part of her life, with a family of her own. Throughout the series, all of the sisters show change in the way that they feel about things. All of them have high prospects for the future at the start of the series, but none of them receive what they always wished for. As the books are so realistic and true, you can really relate to each character. When I read it, I feel that I am right int he story. I feel that I am with the sisters when they put on plays and play games. I feel that I am with the Mother of the family, listening to all of the sister's troubles. And I also feel, that I am crying with Jo as Beth breathed her last breath. Reviewed by Lucy