It is No. 2 in the Little Women trilogy. Jo Baher and her husband found a school - which is like a home - a rural setting to educate and care for young girls including their two young children, nieces and other young women. They live at Plumfield, which is Aunt Marsh's old home. They are in charge of 12 pupils, some of whom are orphans and others children of their relatives. The aim of this highly original informal school is self-knowledge, self-mastery and self-sufficiency. It is an education in freedom, with the discipline necessary for them to become responsible.
The style of this juvenile novel is fresh, humorous, entertaining and realistic. The purpose of reading it is to have a pleasant time: if you like Alcott, you will find a delightful story about the life of one of the favorites of American literature, the unfeminine Jo who, with her love and her husband's love, manages to transform boys into useful men, into "little men". In the background is the value of a loving, strong and healthy family environment.