Edith Wharton, born Edith Newbold Jones (January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937), was a distinguished American author and designer who confronted and depicted the realities and subtleties of the American Gilded Age. Belonging to a wealthy and conservative New York family, Wharton was privy to the mores and expectations of high society, which she skillfully critiqued in her work through intricate socia...