Encouraged by Povilas Višinskis, she joined public life and started her writing career in 1890, becoming a prominent member of the Lithuanian National Revival.

She was the founder and chair of the Žiburėlis society to provide financial aid to struggling students, one of the editors of the newspaper Lietuvos žinios, and an active member of the women's movement.

[3] When she was nine, Petkevičaitė's mother died of typhus and as the eldest child she began looking after her five brothers despite her own disability (deformed spine).

[5] She wanted to continue her education and study mathematics at a university, but her father would not allow it and she felt trapped in the provincial life by her family duties and management of the manor.

The work was edited by Jonas Jablonskis for grammar and spelling and published launching Žemaitė's literary career.

[4] In 1905, she attended the Great Seimas of Vilnius which resolved to demand wide political autonomy for Lithuania within the Russian Empire.

It was a liberal answer to the Catholic Lietuvaitė, which supported the traditional role of a woman as a housekeeper and published articles on proper women's etiquette and culinary recipes.

[11] Together with Juozas Zikaras, Petkevičaitė designed a school uniform for girls, which was soon adopted nationally and discontinued only around 1990.

[17] Her memorial medal, awarded annually for distinguished public and cultural work, was established by the Seimas (parliament of Lithuania) in 2011.

[18] Petkevičaitė began contributing news stories to Varpas in 1890 (after reading a complaint from Vincas Kudirka that the newspaper lacked correspondents).

Short story Dievui atkišus (Offering it to God) about a girl seduced by a landowner is one of the most powerful social commentaries.

The diary is a good example of romantic attempts to escape from daily misery into the perfect word of nature and arts.

[2] In 1899, Petkevičaitė co-directed with Povilas Višinskis the first Lithuanian-language play America in the Bathhouse (Amerika pirtyje) in Palanga.

[5] Encouraged by the success, Petkevičaitė joined forces with another female writer Žemaitė and wrote several plays under the joint pen name Dvi Moteri (Two Women), including Velnias spąstuose (The Devil in a Trap, 1902), Kaip kas išmano, taip save gano (Each on His Own, 1904), Parduotoji laimė (Sold Happiness, 1905), Dublynė (The Bog, 1912), and others.