16 - Story of Mary MacLane by Mary MacLane

At just 19 years old in 1902, Mary MacLane burst onto the literary scene with her groundbreaking debut, The Story of Mary MacLane. The book became a sensation, selling 100,000 copies within its first month and captivating young readers, though it faced backlash from conservative critics and light-hearted mockery from H.L. Mencken. Feeling stifled in her small mining town of Butte, MacLane used her newfound success to relocate to the vibrant Greenwich Village, where she continued to produce provocative works and insightful newspaper articles. Even today, her candid and fearless writing about self-love, sexual attraction toward women, and her wild desire to marry the devil resonates with readers. Critics have praised her unapologetic style as raw, honest, and refreshingly self-aware. (Summary from Wikipedia)