Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" is a cultural touchstone. But what about the women behind the "Women," Alcott's real-life sisters on whom she based her characters? An interview with novelist Elise Hooper considers the life of "The Other Alcott."

By focusing in on the characters’ emotions, a scholar discovers something more than good little women. She finds surprisingly angry ones.

She’s best known as the intrepid author of Little Women, but Louisa May Alcott was once a domestic servant.