Margaret Eastman Smith, Author, A Spectacular Inheritance
A Spectacular Inheritance, Book Cover
New Memoir Documents One Woman’s Path From an International Peacemaking Community to Discovering Her Own Identity, Principles, and Voice
A Spectacular Inheritance is a beautifully layered memoir about belonging, independence and the complicated inheritance we receive from the communities that raise us.”— Vicki DeArmon, Publisher of Sibylline PressSAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, August 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Sibylline Press announces the release of A Spectacular Inheritance: What I Kept and What I Left Behind by Margaret Eastman Smith, a revealing memoir about being raised within Moral Re‑Armament (MRA), an evangelical conflict‑resolution movement now known as Initiatives of Change, and the extraordinary path Smith took when she ultimately chose to leave the community she had known since childhood. A Spectacular Inheritance is available now wherever books are sold.
At the moment Margaret Eastman Smith departed her tight‑knit group just before her thirty‑fifth birthday, she had hardly any friends outside it, possessed no college degree, lacked work experience, and had little ability to navigate the world beyond.
A Spectacular Inheritance offers a deep account of growing up inside Moral Re‑Armament (previously the Oxford Group, today Initiatives of Change). This religiously based reconciliation organization gave rise to Alcoholics Anonymous and Up With People. The movement is recognized for playing a role in postwar reconciliation between France and Germany, but it has also drawn criticism from figures such as actor Glenn Close.
Margaret shares vivid recollections of life inside the community and how her perspective on it evolved. As she moves away, the narrative becomes one of identifying values she can trust. In her own words, the memoir reflects on the pursuit of self‑understanding, forgiveness, and the nature of love.
“A Spectacular Inheritance is a beautifully layered memoir about belonging, independence and the complicated inheritance we receive from the communities that raise us,” said Vicki DeArmon, Publisher of Sibylline Press. “Margaret brings both intimacy and perspective to a remarkable life story, inviting readers to consider not only what she left behind, but what she was able to carry forward.”
A lasting curiosity about the question “Can ordinary people change the world?” continues to shape Smith’s work. She writes a column and essays for We Are One Humanity and is an alumna of the international peacemaking community.
Smith has scheduled appearances in Cambridge, Cape Cod, Washington DC, Hollywood, and Los Angeles, and she is undertaking a podcast and media tour.
Praise for A Spectacular Inheritance
“A compelling read, particularly for anyone who has grown up in and then left a religious movement.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Smith does a beautiful job of interweaving her personal narrative with the retelling of the growth of a social movement, while at the same time, questioning both.” – Tamra Pearson d’Estrée, Ph.D. Professor of Conflict Resolution, University of Denver
About the Author
Margaret Eastman Smith grew up in North America, Asia, and Europe. She holds American and British citizenship. Her column appears on the website We Are One Humanity (www.weareonehumanity.org) and she writes essays frequently. From 1999 to 2017 she taught in the Program on International Peace and Conflict Resolution at American University in Washington, DC. She authored Reckoning with the Past: Teaching History in Northern Ireland (Lexington Books, 2005). She earned her doctorate from the Fletcher School at Tufts University in 1999. In 2018 she completed a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She divides her time between Cape Cod and Washington DC.
A Spectacular Inheritance
By Margaret Eastman Smith
Memoir
Page Count: 424
Trade Paperback: 9798897400201 | $22
EBook: 9798897400218 | $9.99
Publication Date: August 11, 2026
Published by Sibylline Press — Publishing the work of brilliant women over 50.
About Sibylline Press:
Sibylline Press publishes the brilliant work of women authors over 50, exclusively. Founded in August 2022, Sibylline is owned by ten women of a certain age. They have two other imprints, Sibylline Digital First, launched to publish more work from women with new titles and publishing every Friday as part of their “Pub Date Fridays” campaign. Sibyl Writing Craft publishes books and conducts courses about writing craft and the book industry. The press currently publishes nearly 50 titles a year. Sibylline Press titles encompass the genres of fiction (commercial and literary, as well as historical fiction, mystery, adventure, dystopian, fantasy, and romance) plus memoir. Sibylline Press takes its name from the Sibylline Scrolls, the ancient writings of wise older women, the Sibyls. More at sibyllinepress.com; and follow us on FB and IG @sibyllinepress.
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