The Gates Ajar

by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

"The Gates Ajar" by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps is a religious novel published in 1868 that became the second best-selling religious novel of the 19th century. Written in the aftermath of the American Civil War, it tells the story of Mary Cabot, who grieves her brother's death in battle and loses her faith. Through conversations with her widowed aunt Winifred, Mary discovers a comforting vision of heaven as a corporeal place similar to Earth, where the dead live in spiritual bodies and maintain earthly relationships, ultimately restoring her hope and faith.