After months of planning and hosting their immersive Celebrating Little Women event, Jayme and Steve return with a deeply personal look at the life and legacy of Louisa May Alcott. From her childhood in a famously dysfunctional household to her reluctant creation of Little Women, this episode uncovers the remarkable journey of an author who turned hardship into timeless storytelling. Along the way, you'll hear how Alcott’s real-life experiences—her difficult relationship with her father Bronson, the influence of literary giants like Emerson and Thoreau, and her fierce drive to support her family—shaped the March sisters and their world.

Listeners will come away with a greater appreciation for Alcott’s brilliance and bravery, and the ordinary yet extraordinary moments that give Little Women its lasting power.

READ BY: Jayme Smith

SOURCES: Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever, The Journals of Louisa May Alcott edited by Joel Myerson, Daniel Shealy, and Madeleine B. Stern, and the 1994 film Little Women directed by Gillian Armstrong.