Louisa May Alcott, born on November 29, 1832, in Germantown, Pennsylvania, grew up in a family deeply engaged in social reform and education. Her father, Bronson Alcott, was a transcendentalist and educator, influencing Louisa's ideals despite the family's financial struggles. Surrounded by notable thinkers like Emerson and Thoreau, she developed a passion for writing early in life. Alcott worked various jobs to support her family, but her time as a Civil War nurse profoundly impacted her. This experience inspired Hospital Sketches, bringing her public attention and fueling her literary career. Her greatest success came with Little Women (1868), a semi-autobiographical novel that captured the lives of the March sisters. Despite health challenges later in life, Alcott continued to write and advocate for social causes, including women's suffrage and abolition. She never married, choosing instead a life focused on family and literature. Louisa May Alcott passed away on March 6, 1888, leaving a legacy as one of America's most beloved authors.
