Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton was an American author and one of the leading figures in modern American literature. Her novels, which include The Age of Innocence (1920), Ethan Frome (1911), and The House of Mirth (1905), portray characters dealing with the complicated circumstances of modern American life, often portraying the social world of the wealthy. In addition to her literary career, which saw the publication of over forty books, Wharton dedicated herself to the Allied cause during World War I, aiding refugees from France and Belgium with the creation of schools and hostels, and reporting to American publications from the warfront in Europe, urging the participation of the United States in the war effort.