The Refugees by Edith Wharton (1924)
The Refugees is a novel by Edith Wharton, published in 1923. It tells the story of two French aristocrats, the Marquis de Chantelle and his wife, the Marquise, who are forced to flee their home in France during the French Revolution. The Marquis and Marquise are forced to leave their beloved home and travel to America, where they must start a new life. Along the way, they encounter a variety of people, from the kindly innkeeper who takes them in to the unscrupulous businessman who tries to take advantage of them. They also meet a young American woman, who helps them adjust to their new life. The novel follows the Marquis and Marquise as they struggle to adjust to their new life in America, and as they come to terms with the changes that have taken place in their homeland. It is a story of courage, resilience, and hope in the face of adversity.
By Edith Wharton · First published 1924 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama · 5 chapters · 10,375 words
First lines
On the 8th of September, 1914, Charlie Durand stood hopelessly blinking through his spectacles at the throng of fugitives which the Folkestone train had just poured out upon the platform of Charing Cross.
He was aware of a faint haze on the spectacles which he usually kept clear of the slightest smirch. It had been too prolonged, too abominable, too soul-searching, the slow torture of his hours of travel with the stricken multitude in which he had found himself entangled on the pier at Boulogne.
What this Textopian page supports
The Refugees is listed on Textopian as a novel by Edith Wharton, dated 1924 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: 1924 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama, Literary Fiction
- Length: 10,375 words
- Structure: 5 chapters, 380 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Refugees 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 The Refugees?
- How does this novel by Edith Wharton fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- In No Strange Land by Katharine Butler
- The Foreigner by Francis Sherman
- Maame Pelagie by Kate Chopin
- A Sheaf Of Roses by Elizabeth Gordon
- The Refugees by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The Refugees is set in the early 20th century and follows the lives of two French refugees, making it a historical fiction novel.
- Romance — The Refugees follows the romantic relationship between the two main characters, making it a romance novel.
- Drama — The Refugees follows the struggles of the two main characters as they try to make a life for themselves, making it a drama novel.
- Literary Fiction — The Refugees is written by Edith Wharton, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, making it a literary fiction novel.
Tags
immigration · displacement · identity · cultural clash · family · loss · adaptation · society · class · struggle · hope · resilience
Contents
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5