The Choice (ePub)

Edith Wharton, a luminary of American literature, was born into the rarified world of New York high society on January 24, 1862. Her maiden name was Edith Newbold Jones, and it is said that her family's opulence gave rise to the phrase 'keeping up with the Joneses.' Wharton broke through the constraints of her conservative background to become one of the foremost writers of her day. She was an astute chronicler of the Gilded Age and its mores, deftly employing both irony and nuanced characterization in her prose. Her stylistic prowess was matched by her prolific output, with over forty books to her name, including novels, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. Wharton's storytelling is marked by its incisive exploration of societal structures, the psychology of her characters, and a deep sense of place, whether it be the parlors of New York or the war-ravaged fields of France. Her novel 'The Age of Innocence' remains a seminal work, for which she earned the Pulitzer Prize in 1921, making her the first woman to receive this honor. While 'The Choice' may not stand as her most renowned work, it echoes Wharton's perennial themes of personal freedom in conflict with societal expectations. Wharton continued to write and influence literature until her death on August 11, 1937, in France.