Margaret Deland Writing toward Insight

About the Book

A hundred years ago, Margaret Deland was a top American author on par with Mark Twain, William Dean Howells, or Thomas Hardy. She rubbed elbows with presidents and became a prominent member of Boston Society. But she is also a study in contradictions and almost unknown today. This Civil War era orphan raised by old school Presbyterians became an independent, self-made woman during Victorian times. She captures the struggles of nineteenth century women in her novels; she took unwed mothers into her home but declined to join the suffragette movement. Her literary success did not deter her from assisting soldiers in Europe during World War I or mingling with persons of very diverse backgrounds and faiths. But beneath an interesting life and career is a deep study and questioning of beliefs. A quest for objective confirmation of an afterlife—especially after the death of her beloved husband Lorin—led her into contact with mediums, psychical research and spiritualism. This in-depth and very personal biography reveals how relevant Margaret’s life, work, and ultimate insights are to our own.

About the Author

Ruth Maxa Filer, wrote this Deland Biography with a combination of Intuitive guidance and rigorous research spanning over 20 years.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Whitworth College, a Masters of Arts and PhD both from the University of Washington. Her doctoral dissertation was, ‘Experience as a Mode of Learning in adulthood.' She taught college classes for 12 years. Other writings include poetry, technical writing in adult education and public administration.