8 ). ▁ ▁She ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁Catholic ▁faith ▁after ▁a ▁youth ▁spent ▁as ▁a ▁at he ist . ▁ ▁She ▁has ▁been ▁c ited ▁by ▁Card inal ▁Roger ▁Et ch eg ar ay ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁for ▁young ▁people ▁to ▁follow ▁in ▁" the ▁ar du ous ▁battle ▁of ▁hol iness ." ▁Made le ine ▁died ▁unexpected ly ▁from ▁a ▁brain ▁hem or rh age ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Made le ine ▁Del bre l ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁M uss idan , ▁France . ▁Her ▁father ▁was ▁of ▁an ▁art istic ▁disposition , ▁and ▁Made le ine ▁inherited ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁and ▁talent ▁for ▁writing . ▁Through out ▁her ▁child hood , ▁she ▁lived ▁in ▁several ▁different ▁places , ▁and ▁was ▁never ▁able ▁to ▁feel ▁at ▁home ▁or ▁make ▁friends ▁anywhere . ▁Her ▁parents ▁were ▁not ▁religious , ▁so ▁Made le ine ▁was ▁an ▁at he ist ▁by ▁age ▁of ▁fifteen , ▁experien cing ▁life ▁as ▁abs urd . ▁At ▁sevent een ▁she ▁wrote ▁a ▁tract ▁titled : ▁" G od ▁is ▁dead -- long ▁live !" ▁which ▁express es ▁her ▁view ▁that ▁death ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁certain ty ▁in ▁life . ▁Con sequently , ▁she ▁lived ▁life ▁without ▁any ▁regard ▁to ▁middle - class ▁values , ▁writing ▁and ▁illustr ating ▁poetry , ▁studying ▁philosophy ▁and ▁art ▁at ▁the ▁Sor bon ne ▁in ▁Paris , ▁design ing ▁her ▁own ▁f ash ions , ▁and ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁women ▁of ▁her ▁set ▁to ▁cut ▁her