EDITH WHARTON: Beyond the Age of Innocence
By
A somewhat simplified overview of Wharton's life: a biography of a wealthy, lonely little girl who used her imagination to make up stories that made her happy and also made her, in 1921, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, for The Age of Innocence. In recapping the plot of that novel and providing an abbreviated context for its mores, Turk aptly portrays a real conflict in Wharton's life and in the lives of most YAs: following one's heart vs. doing what is expected by others. Readers may wonder at a time in which people rejected their innermost feelings in the name of duty, but they will see how decisive were the roles of wealth and prestige at the turn of the century. This is biography-lite; fortunately, Turk's bibliography points readers to other studies of Wharton's life, including R.W.B. Lewis's essential work.