Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and designer. She was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with The Age of Innocence (1921). Her works captured the complexities of upper-class society and the struggle for personal freedom. Wharton’s sharp wit and psychological insight made her a defining voice of early 20th-century literature. Among her most celebrated novels are Ethan Frome, The House of Mirth, and The Custom of the Country. She wrote with elegance and realism, portraying the conflict between desire and duty. Her legacy endures as one of America’s most brilliant and pioneering literary figures.