Gertrude Stein came from unassuming beginnings in Pennsylvania to become a central figure in the birth and development of Modern Art. She was friends with many of the leading painters and writers of multiple generations, as well as being on the sidelines of several of the 20th century's most profound events, namely both world wars. Her writing evolved from juvenilia to dense, repetitive, experimental, prose, and then finally to an autobiographical phase near the end of her life. She waited many years for the mainstream of society to recognize her genius, but when they did, her fame was almost unmatched. This biography looks at the life, times and career of Gertrude Stein.