The Reef

"The Reef" by Edith Wharton is a novel written during the late 19th century. The story explores themes of love, longing, and social intricacies, centering on the characters George Darrow and Anna Leath. The narrative delves into their complicated past, rekindled amidst new relationships and unfulfilled desires, revealing the subtle tensions between duty and personal happiness. The opening of the novel introduces George Darrow, who receives a telegram from Anna Leath that compels him to reflect on their complicated history and the obstacles that seem to perpetually surround their relationship. He recalls their initial encounter after twelve years apart and begins to grapple with the implications of her invitation and subsequent postponements. As he makes his way through a stormy day, the rain and tumult around him mirror his turbulent emotions regarding Anna and his current companionship with a young woman named Sophy Viner. Sophy's presence, lively yet unrefined, offers an intriguing contrast to his feelings for Anna, suggesting a blend of nostalgia and new possibilities as Darrow contemplates the complexity of love and connection. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Edith Newbold Wharton was an American writer and designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray, realistically, the lives and morals of the Gilded Age. In 1921, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, for her novel, The Age of Innocence. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, in 1996. Her other well-known works are The House of Mirth, the novella Ethan Frome, and several notable ghost stories.