Margaret Oliphant - Madonna Mary: "Good works may only be beautiful sins, if they are not done in a true spirit"

The life of Margaret Oliphant Wilson is marked by both literary triumphs and profound personal tragedies. After publishing her first novel in 1849, she established a successful writing career while facing the loss of three children and the death of her husband from tuberculosis. Despite these hardships, she supported her remaining family through her prolific writing. Over her thirty-year career, she endured further losses, including the deaths of her two sons, which deeply affected her. Oliphant passed away in 1897, leaving behind a legacy of resilience amidst sorrow.