Miss MacIntosh, My Darling

novel by Young

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June 30, 2026

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Miss MacIntosh, My Darling is a 1965 novel by Marguerite Young. This extensive work explores themes of illusion versus reality and the human impulse to create myths. The protagonist, Vera Cartwheel, embarks on a quest to find her former nursemaid, Miss MacIntosh, who symbolizes common sense and truth. However, Vera's journey ultimately leads to disillusionment. The novel is noted for its many layers and its exploration of mythmaking.1

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10 of the World’s Longest Novels: Miss MacIntosh, My Darling by Marguerite Young
American poet and novelist Marguerite Young spent 18 years writing this 1,200-page novel of illusion and reality, Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (1965). The story centers on Vera Cartwheel, a woman who rejects her mother’s opium-induced vagueness and searches…
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American poet and novelist Marguerite Young spent 18 years writing this 1,200-page novel of illusion and reality, Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (1965). The story centers on Vera Cartwheel, a woman who rejects her mother’s opium-induced vagueness and searches…
Read More

Marguerite Young
…American writer best known for Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (1965), a mammoth, many-layered novel of illusion and reality.
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…American writer best known for Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (1965), a mammoth, many-layered novel of illusion and reality.
Read More