In this grown-ups' version of Little Women, the March family falls on hard times, after Mr. March goes away under murky circumstances. The four daughters are left to reach adulthood under very different conditions from the cushy life they were used to. Wise-cracking but fiercely protective Jo takes over as the man of the house, at the beginning of the story.

Older sister Meg starts out struggling with a fixation on status and overdependence on her mother. Beth is sweet but troubled. She has crippling fears and still plays with dolls at fourteen. And sassy Amy is far too savvy for a twelve-year-old.

The adults aren't always as wise and pious as in the original, either. The mother, Mooms, is doing strange things and seems a bit too friendly with the wealthy older gentleman next door. Things get really weird when a shocking surprise appears under the tree on Christmas morning.