Story of Mary MacLane

Published in 1902 when Mary MacLane was just 19, 'The Story of Mary MacLane' is a candid autobiographical work that explores themes of egoism, self-love, and sexual attraction, particularly towards women. The book quickly became a sensation, selling 100,000 copies in its first month, but faced criticism from conservative audiences and ridicule from figures like H.L. Mencken. MacLane's raw and unflinching prose marked her as a unique voice of her time, and she used the book's success to escape her small-town life in Butte, Montana, moving to Greenwich Village to pursue her writing career.