Publisher's Synopsis
The House of Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton - Lily Bart enjoys luxurious living, but does she enjoy it enough to forego a marriage based on love? Lily is a woman of high social standing in New York and rejects several offers of advantageous marriages. Matters take a turn, however, when the husband of one of Lily's friends gives Lily a large sum of money. Lily believes it is the return on her investments but the financial arrangement and Lily's visit to Gus in his home erodes her social standing. How does a socialite escape prying eyes? Bertha Dorset and her husband, George, invite Lily on a cruise around Europe. Unfortunately, Bertha accuses Lily of adultery to distract from Bertha's own dalliances and another scandal ensues. American author Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was a novelist, short story writer and playwright who drew inspiration from her knowledge of New York's upper class "aristocracy". She portrayed the lives and morals of the Gilded Age, winning a Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1921.
