"Money is a needful and precious thing- and, when well used, a noble thing- but I never want you to think it is the first or only prize to strive for. I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace."Christmas seems to offer few joys for the four daughters of the March household. With their army chaplain father away at the Civil War, times are hard for Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, and for Marmee, the self-sacrificing matriarch of the New England family. A letter from their absent father exhorts the girls to work hard and be dutiful, so that "I may be fonder and prouder than ever of my little women". Jo, a coltish aspiring writer, rises to meet that expectation, as so pretty, vain Meg; affected, selfish Amy; and shy, sweet-natured Beth. The road to maturity is full of simple pleasures, and womanhood brings romance, but the family also has to face many trials and crises along the way.Louisa May Alcott drew heavily on her own experiences for this powerful domestic drama and coming-of-age story, whose homespun charm and core family values made it a cultural landmark in America, and enduringly popular in all corners of the globe.