ers , ▁including ▁names ▁of ▁em in ence , ▁were ▁enthus i astic ▁and ▁almost ▁un temper ed ▁in ▁their ▁pra ise . ▁Probably ▁no ▁book ▁ever ▁written ▁by ▁a ▁Maryland ▁woman ▁met ▁with ▁speed ier ▁and ▁more ▁marked ▁success . ▁To ▁a ▁certain ▁extent ▁the ▁work ▁was ▁aut obi ographical ▁in ▁character , ▁it ▁being ▁an ▁article ▁in ▁Miss ▁C rane ' s ▁literary ▁cre ed ▁that ▁a ▁novel ▁is ▁effective ▁just ▁in ▁so ▁far ▁as ▁the ▁elements ▁of ▁aut obi ography ▁enters ▁into ▁its ▁creation . ▁ ▁Plot ▁The ▁opening ▁scenes ▁of ▁this ▁book , ▁and ▁some ▁that ▁are ▁most ▁interesting , ▁are ▁placed ▁in ▁Maryland . ▁At ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁was ▁the ▁d ile m ma ▁of ▁the ▁title ▁character , ▁who ▁married ▁a ▁respect able , ▁if ▁b oring , ▁middle ▁class ▁gentleman , ▁and ▁later ▁fell ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁a ▁more ▁dash ing ▁man ▁of ▁her ▁community . ▁The ▁fier ce ▁moral ▁debate ▁that ▁subsequently ▁ra ged ▁inside ▁Em ily ▁- ▁whether ▁to ▁stay ▁faithful ▁to ▁her ▁husband , ▁or ▁to ▁purs ue ▁her ▁passion ▁for ▁her ▁real ▁love ▁- ▁eventually ▁had ▁a ▁de le ter ious ▁effect ▁on ▁her ▁physical ▁health . ▁A ▁conclusion ▁came ▁about , ▁mor bid ly , ▁with ▁Em ily ' s ▁death . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁characters ▁are ▁drawn ▁from ▁life . ▁Whether ▁they ▁be ▁drawn ▁from ▁individual ▁lives ▁or ▁otherwise , ▁they ▁are ▁del ine ated ▁with ▁a ▁bold ▁and ▁master ly ▁hand