 Her first critically acclaimed publication was "Three Lives".In 1911, Mildred Aldrich introduced Stein to Mabel Dodge Luhan and they began a short-lived but fruitful friendship during which the wealthy Mabel Dodge promoted Gertrude's legend in the United States.Mabel was enthusiastic about Stein's sprawling publication "The Makings of Americans" and, at a time when Stein had much difficulty selling her writing to publishers, privately published 300 copies of "Portrait of Mabel Dodge at Villa Curonia".