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Quick answer: If you loved Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, try Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, March by Geraldine Brooks, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano and I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.
Little Women remains one of the most beloved family stories ever written, and Greta Gerwig’s film brought it to a new generation. The books below share its sisters, coming-of-age stories, classic settings and warm hearts. They include classics, modern retellings and books for younger readers.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love Little Women
Little Women has been loved since 1868 for its warm portrait of the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, growing up during the Civil War. Louisa May Alcott based it on her own family, and Jo’s ambition to be a writer has inspired generations. It’s about sisterhood, poverty, kindness, love and the different paths women can take. If you loved the family, the coming-of-age story or Jo, these picks fit.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about Little Women: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne of Green Gables | L. M. Montgomery | Classic novel | Spirited heroines |
| A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Betty Smith | Classic novel | Coming-of-age in hardship |
| The Penderwicks | Jeanne Birdsall | Middle-grade novel | Modern sisters for kids |
| March | Geraldine Brooks | Historical fiction | The father’s story |
| Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano | Literary fiction | Modern sisters |
| I Capture the Castle | Dodie Smith | Classic novel | Writer heroines |
| Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen | Classic novel | Sisters and romance |
| Jo’s Boys | Louisa May Alcott | Classic novel | Continuing the story |
| Meg and Jo | Virginia Kantra | Modern retelling | Modern March sisters |
| The Secret Garden | Frances Hodgson Burnett | Classic novel | Classic childhoods |
| Little House on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder | Classic children’s novel | Pioneer families |
| The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler | E. L. Konigsburg | Middle-grade novel | Siblings’ adventures |
| Rilla of Ingleside | L. M. Montgomery | Classic novel | Families in wartime |
| Jane Eyre | Charlotte Brontë | Classic novel | Independent women |
| The Little Women Cookbook | Wini Moranville | Cookbook | Book clubs |
1. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
An imaginative orphan is adopted by siblings on Prince Edward Island. Anne is a kindred spirit to Jo.
2. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
A girl grows up in poverty in early 1900s Brooklyn, hungry for books.
3. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Four sisters spend a summer at an estate. It’s a modern Little Women for children.
4. March by Geraldine Brooks
The absent father’s Civil War experiences, imagined in this Pulitzer Prize winner.
5. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Four Chicago sisters, inspired by Little Women, face love and loss over decades.
6. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
A girl in a crumbling English castle records her eccentric family. It’s charming.
7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Bennet sisters navigate love and marriage.
8. Jo’s Boys by Louisa May Alcott
Jo runs a school with her husband in the final March family book.
9. Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra
Meg and Jo March as adults in modern New York and North Carolina.
10. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A lonely girl discovers a hidden garden that heals her and her cousin.
11. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura’s family settles on the Kansas prairie. It’s a family classic, though its portrayal of Native Americans is dated.
12. The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
A girl and her brother run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
13. Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery
Anne’s youngest daughter grows up during World War I.
14. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
A governess with fierce integrity falls for her employer.
15. The Little Women Cookbook by Wini Moranville
Recipes inspired by the novel, from blancmange to pickled limes. Perfect for themed meetings.
How to Pick Your Next Read After Little Women
- Want another heroine like Jo? Anne of Green Gables.
- Want modern sisters? Hello Beautiful and Meg and Jo.
- Reading with kids? The Penderwicks.
- Want more Alcott? Little Men and Jo’s Boys.
- Want hardship and hope? A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
- Hosting a club? Try the cookbook.
Why Little Women Endures
Little Women lasts because each sister reflects a different kind of life: Meg’s domestic happiness, Jo’s ambition, Beth’s quiet goodness and Amy’s artistic and social hopes. Readers often find they identify with a different sister at different stages of life. The book also shows a family facing poverty, war and illness with kindness and humor, which makes it comforting to reread. Many readers return to it every few years, and each time it feels a little different.
Related: books like Pride and Prejudice and Hello Beautiful book club discussion questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I read after Little Women?
Try Anne of Green Gables, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, March or Hello Beautiful.
Is there a modern Little Women?
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano and Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra are modern takes.
What books are like Little Women for kids?
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall is a modern favorite for children.