Mary MacLane (1881–1929)

Mary MacLane was born in Winnipeg, Canada, and moved to the USA with her family at a young age. They went from Minnesota to Montana after the death of her father and remarriage of her mother. In 1902, at age 19, she published her provocative first book, which she entitled I Await the Devil’s Coming; her publisher changed the title to The Story of Mary MacLane. It became an international bestseller and brought her fame and financial independence. With the money, she lived a bohemian life first in Greenwich Village in New York City and then in Boston, before returning to Butte, Montana. In 1917, she wrote and starred in an autobiographical silent film called Men Who Have Made Love to Me. She published another book called I, Mary MacLane at about the same time. After years as a sensation, Mary MacLane sank into obscurity and died under mysterious circumstances at age 48.