Author. Born Mary Gray Phelps, she later took the name of her mother, also a published author. Her first published work was when she was 14, though she is best remembered for her spiritual novel "The Gates Ajar" (1868), which became a quick bestseller as it offered some solace to those grieving after the Civil War. In it, she theorizes a heaven as a physical place where people continue "living". She published two sequels, "Beyond the Gates" and "The Gates Between" in the 1880s as well as dozens of other books published in a career that spanned six decades. She also advocated various social reforms, including temperance and women's rights. Her 1877 novel "The Story of Avis" controversially questioned traditional marriage roles. In 1876, she lectured at Boston University, the first woman to do so. In 1888, she married Herbert Dickinson Ward, a young journalist and author. Together, the couple co-authored three books and owned a summer home in Gloucester. By the end of her life, she was one of the most popular and highest-selling women writers of her generation. Ward died at home in 1911 and her funeral was held several days later at a local Baptist church. She was cremated at Mount Auburn Cemetery after a ceremony officiated by her brother before her remains were interred at Newton Cemetery.
Author. Born Mary Gray Phelps, she later took the name of her mother, also a published author. Her first published work was when she was 14, though she is best remembered for her spiritual novel "The Gates Ajar" (1868), which became a quick bestseller as it offered some solace to those grieving after the Civil War. In it, she theorizes a heaven as a physical place where people continue "living". She published two sequels, "Beyond the Gates" and "The Gates Between" in the 1880s as well as dozens of other books published in a career that spanned six decades. She also advocated various social reforms, including temperance and women's rights. Her 1877 novel "The Story of Avis" controversially questioned traditional marriage roles. In 1876, she lectured at Boston University, the first woman to do so. In 1888, she married Herbert Dickinson Ward, a young journalist and author. Together, the couple co-authored three books and owned a summer home in Gloucester. By the end of her life, she was one of the most popular and highest-selling women writers of her generation. Ward died at home in 1911 and her funeral was held several days later at a local Baptist church. She was cremated at Mount Auburn Cemetery after a ceremony officiated by her brother before her remains were interred at Newton Cemetery.
Bio by: Midnightdreary
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