About
Edith Wharton, born Edith Newbold Jones in New York in 1862, came from a wealthy family. She published her first major novel, 'The House of Mirth', in 1905, which brought her fame. In 1920, she published 'The Age of Innocence', for which she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1921. Settled in France, she led a prolific career and engaged in humanitarian relief during World War I, earning the Legion of Honour. She was also recognized for her skills as an interior decorator and garden designer, notably at her estate 'The Mount'.
* 1862-01-24 — † 1937-08-11
Major works
- The House of Mirth (1905)novel
- Ethan Frome (1911)novel
- The Custom of the Country (1913)novel
- The Age of Innocence (1920)novel
- The Decoration of Houses (1897)essay
Key milestones
- 1921Becomes the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for 'The Age of Innocence'.
- 1916Awarded the Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour for humanitarian relief work during World War I.
- 1902Completes 'The Mount', her estate in Lenox, Massachusetts, now a National Historic Landmark.
Themes
Social critiqueHigh society moresWomen's conditionDesire and constraintExpatriation
Sources: pulitzer.org · womenofthehall.org · edithwharton.org
