Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton was a pioneering American novelist and short story writer, born on January 24, 1862, in New York City. Known for her keen insights into the Gilded Age society, her works often explored themes of class, wealth, and the strictures of social conventions. Her most acclaimed novel, "The Age of Innocence," won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1921, making her the first woman to receive the award. Wharton was also noted for her courage and intellect, living through tumultuous times and capturing the essence of an era. She lived much of her later life in France, passing away in 1937.