← Elizabeth Stuart PhelpsHedged Inby Elizabeth Stuart PhelpsFind on Amazon↗About the authorElizabeth Stuart PhelpsElizabeth Stuart Phelps was a New England author whose The Gates Ajar became one of the most widely read American novels of the Civil War era. Her fiction advocated for women's spiritual autonomy and professional independence.More by Elizabeth Stuart PhelpsThe Gates AjarTheological novel imagining the afterlife as continuation of earthly relationships→The Story of AvisNovel about a talented woman artist choosing between family and her ambitions→Doctor ZayEarly American novel featuring a pioneering female physician and her struggles→Beyond the Gates→