Books in Little Women series

Now married, Jo Bhaer (nee March) couldn’t be happier. Jo, along with her husband Professor Friedrich Bhaer, operates the Plumfield Estate School. Plumfield is a haven for poor orphans which is attended by 12 adopted boy as well as Jo’s own two sons. Although Plumfield is a place of trust and warmth, the boys occasionally struggle to maintain good manners.

Little Men by Louisa May Alcott is the second book in the unofficial Little Women Trilogy, along with the thrid book in the series Jo's Boys. Little Men was first published in the U.S. in 1871 and was inspired by the death of Louisa May Alcott's brother-in-law. Little Men has gone on to become one of the classic American novels. If you haven't done so already, read Little Men by Louisa May Alcott today!

The book mostly follows the lives of Plumfield boys who were introduced in Little Men, particularly Tommy, Emil, Demi, Nat, Dan, and Professor Bhaer and Jo's sons Rob and Teddy, although the others make frequent appearances as well. The book takes place ten years after Little Men. Dolly and George are college students dealing with the temptations of snobbery, arrogance, self-indulgence and vanity. Tommy becomes a medical student to impress childhood sweetheart Nan, but after "accidentally" falling in love with and proposing to Dora, he joins his family business. Sections of Jo's Boys follow the travels of former students who have deep emotional ties to Plumfield and the Bhaers. Professor Bhaer's nephew Emil is now a sailor, and takes off on his first voyage as second mate and shows his true strength when he is shipwrecked and the captain badly injured. Dan seeks his fortune in the West and ends up in jail. He also falls in love with a person far beyond his reach, Jo's niece and Amy's daughter Bess. Nat begins a musical career in Europe that takes him away from Daisy, only to fall in with a frivolous crowd and unintentionally lead a young woman on, whom he then does not marry. Romance also plays a role in Jo's Boys, as both Franz and Emil find their own wives, and Tommy, Demi, Nat and Daisy are engaged by the end of the book. Nan remains single, dedicated to her medical career. Dan ends up committing the one sin he and Jo always feared he would, though it was in defence of both self and a younger boy, Blair. Dan kills a man who cheats Blair in gambling. Dan is sentenced to a year in prison with hard labour and only just gets through. Following his release, he saves mine workers from drowning and is brought back home a hero, when he confides in Mother Bhaer about his sin and the punishment that followed. She also discovers his fancy for Bess, though is not entirely surprised. Dan tells her of this fancy and that Bess seemed like the bright northern star which guided him. However, knowing that Amy wouldn't approve, Jo makes sure that the Laurences are away when Dan leaves again. Sadly, Dan dies protecting the Indians but lies in peace as if Aslauga's Knight had done his duty.

Following her critically acclaimed narration of Little Women Part One, narrator Anne Undeland picks up the story from where it left off with Good Wives aka Little Women Part Two.Three years after the curtain closed on the first book, we're brought back into the March family fold, opening with Meg’s wedding. No longer little girls dreaming of “castles in the air,” Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are now young women, each with her own share of joy and heartache, and each with her own path to forge. What mark will the sisters leave on the world? Will they marry? How will they navigate both life and death in all its complication and beauty? Alcott answers these questions and more with her characteristic grace, her singular wit and her abiding faith in the power of love. A classic for all ages.“Anne Undeland captivates listeners with her exquisite narration. Listeners are effortlessly transported into the lives of the March Family. Undeland creates distinct and vibrant portraits of these beloved characters. Themes of women’s roles, family and sacrifice for others remain relevant for contemporary listeners.” AudioFile Magazine