The novel revolves around Charity Royall, a young woman living in the fictional town of North Dormer, Massachusetts. She is torn between her desire for excitement and luxury, and her mundane life with her tyrannical father. When Charity meets Lucius Harney, a charming architect from New York City, she becomes enamored with him and begins an affair. However, their social differences and the moral standards of the time threaten to destroy their relationship.
By Edith Wharton · First published 1917 · Genre: Romance, Coming-of-Age, Realism · 18 chapters