Jo's Boys, and How They Turned Out — Louisa May Alcott

Best known for her novels Little Women and Little Men, Louisa May Alcott continued the story of her feisty protagonist Jo in this final novel chronicling the adventures and misadventures of the March family. Entertaining, surprising, and overall a joy to read, Jo's Boys is nevertheless shaded by a bittersweet tone, for with it Alcott brought her wonderful series to an end.

Beginning ten years after Little Men, Jo's Boys revisits Plumfield, the New England school still presided over by Jo and her husband, Professor Bhaer. Jo's boys--including rebellious Dan, sailor Emil, and promising musician Nat--are grown: Jo herself remains at the center of this tale, holding her boys fast through shipwreck and storm, disappointment...and even murder.

Popular for more than a century, the series that began with Little Woman continues to hold universal appeal with its powerful and affectionate depiction of family--the safe haven where the prodigal can always return, adversity is never met alone, and our dreams of being cherished, no matter what our flaws, come true.