The Age of Innocence Whartonov Edith (2024)

This novel portrays the struggle between desire and duty in nineteenth-century New York high society. Newland Archer, an eligible young man from the establishment, is about to announce his engagement to May Welland, a pretty ingnue, when Mays cousin, Countess Olenska, enters their circle. The Countess brings with her an aura of European sophistication and a hint of scandal, having left her husband and claimed her independence. Her sorrowful eyes, tragic worldliness and air of inaccessibility attract the sensitive Newland, and a passionate bond develops between them almost against their will. But Archers life has no place for passion, and with society supporting May and everything she represents, he finds himself drawn into a bitter conflict between love and duty.