Coming Home by Edith Wharton (1907)

The novel revolves around the theme of social class and the constraints it imposes on individuals. The protagonist, a wealthy widow, returns to her hometown in the Midwest after living in Europe for several years. She is drawn back by a sense of nostalgia and a desire to reconnect with her past. However, she soon realizes that her old life no longer fits her, and she struggles to reconcile her newfound independence with the societal expectations placed upon her. Through her experiences, the novel explores the tensions between individual freedom and social conformity in the early 20th century American Midwest.

By Edith Wharton · First published 1907 · Genre: Realism, Historical Fiction, Drama · 7 chapters · 15,541 words

First lines

The young men of our American Relief Corps are beginning to come back from the front with stories.

There was no time to pick them up during the first months -- the whole business was too wild and grim. The horror has not decreased, but nerves and sight are beginning to be disciplined to it. In the earlier days, moreover, such fragments of experience as one got were torn from their setting like bits of flesh scattered by shrapnel. Now things that seemed disjointed are beginning to link themselves together, and the broken bones of history are rising from the battle-fields.

What this Textopian page supports

Coming Home is listed on Textopian as a novel by Edith Wharton, dated 1907 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Edith Wharton
• Date: 1907 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Realism, Historical Fiction, Drama, Social Critique
• Length: 15,541 words
• Structure: 7 chapters, 227 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for Coming Home by Edith Wharton
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

• What should a reader notice first when entering Coming Home?
• How does this novel by Edith Wharton fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Realism first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

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• The Long Run by Edith Wharton
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Genres

• Realism — Depicts life as it is, without sugarcoating, idealism, or romanticism.
• Historical Fiction — Set in a historical period, with accurate and detailed representation of the era.
• Drama — Focuses on serious, emotional themes and conflicts.
• Social Critique — Critiques and explores societal norms and expectations.

Tags

Romance · Novel · Classic · Literary Fiction · American Literature · Early 20th Century · Social Class · Marriage · Family · Relationships · Love Triangle · Infidelity

Contents

• CHAPTER I
• CHAPTER II
• CHAPTER III
• CHAPTER IV
• CHAPTER V
• CHAPTER VI
• CHAPTER VII

More by Edith Wharton

• Atrophy (1937)
• A Bottle of Perrier (1924)
• Mr. Jones (1924)
• After Holbein (1924)
• Dieu D'Amour (1924)
• The Refugees (1924)
• The Spark (1924)
• The Old Maid (1924)
• All works by Edith Wharton