Growing up, she and her nine brothers and sisters wrote and performed in their own plays and musicals. Her teachers recognized her talent and encouraged her to write. She first pursued nonfiction and studied journalism. Later, she was an assistant to the General Editor for Encyclopedia Britannica who worked with world famous artists, authors, composers, and scientists as EB III was developed.
A dozen books later, Mary Alice has established her voice in fiction. Known for her intimate portrayals of women's lives, her writing has gained added purpose and depth with her move to the Lowcountry. An active environmentalist, she draws themes for her novels from nature and the parallels with human nature, thus drawing attention to various endangered species and the human connection to the natural world.