▁ 1 9 2 2 – 1 9 3 0 , ▁Sant my er ▁wrote ▁three ▁nov els . ▁The ▁first ▁two ▁were ▁published ▁to ▁little ▁notice ▁and ▁the ▁third ▁was ▁un pub lished . ▁ ▁She ▁dis lik ed ▁S inc la ir ▁Lewis ' s ▁negative ▁port ray al ▁of ▁small ▁town ▁America ▁in ▁his ▁novel , ▁Main ▁Street , ▁and ▁conce ived ▁of ▁Lad ies ▁as ▁an ▁ant id ote . ▁ ▁However , ▁since ▁she ▁worked ▁full - time , ▁she ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁write ▁very ▁much ▁before ▁her ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁ ▁A ▁collection ▁of ▁her ▁nost alg ic ▁rem in isc ences ▁of ▁X enia , ▁Ohio ▁was ▁published ▁as ▁Ohio ▁Town ▁by ▁Ohio ▁State ▁University ▁Press ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁ ▁The ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Press , ▁W eld on ▁K ef au ver , ▁encourag ed ▁her ▁to ▁write ▁more . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁she ▁submitted ▁eleven ▁boxes ▁containing ▁book keep ing ▁led gers , ▁her ▁manuscript ▁of ▁Lad ies ▁in ▁long hand . ▁ ▁K ef au ver ▁accepted ▁the ▁novel , ▁but ▁wanted ▁it ▁trim med . ▁ ▁By ▁then , ▁Sant my er ▁was ▁sp ending ▁much ▁of ▁her ▁time ▁in ▁a ▁n urs ing ▁home ▁and ▁she ▁dict ated ▁changes ▁to ▁her ▁friend ▁M ild red ▁S ando e . ▁ ▁The ▁Press ▁published ▁the ▁novel , ▁printed ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁copies ▁and ▁sold ▁a ▁few