Timed Reading — Little Women

The March sisters did not stay children for long. Life moved forward, and each sister found her own path.

Meg married John Brooke and began a quiet domestic life. She made mistakes in the early years. She often spent too much money, but she learned steadily and built a home she was proud of. In time, she became a mother to twins.

Jo eventually left home for New York, where she worked and wrote independently. There she met Professor Friedrich Bhaer, a kind but honest man who told her plainly that the sensational stories she had been writing for money were beneath her real ability. It was difficult to hear, but Jo knew he was right. She began writing with more sincerity and purpose.

Amy traveled to Europe to study art. She lived in Paris with her aunt, where she worked hard and grew in both skill and character. She eventually returned home more mature and more focused than the girl who had left.

Laurie grew into a steadier and more serious man. His long friendship with the March family remained one of the central relationships of his life.

Beth did not grow old with her sisters. She died quietly at home in the spring, surrounded by her family. The loss changed all of them. They carried her with them.

The March family had begun as four sisters in a small house with very little. What they built together in loyalty, in love, and in character lasted far longer than childhood.