Sanctuary

"Sanctuary" by Edith Wharton is a novel written in the late 19th century, exploring themes of love, morality, and the complexities of human relationships. The story centers on Kate Orme, a young woman on the brink of marriage to Denis Peyton, who grapples with her own emotions, the influence of societal expectations, and the shadow of a recent tragedy involving Denis' late brother, Arthur. At the start of the novel, we see Kate in a state of seemingly unbridled happiness as she prepares for her wedding. However, this joy is quickly overshadowed by the revelation of a deep family secret regarding Denis’ deceased brother and the intertwining lives that have led to a tragic outcome. Wharton intricately captures Kate's shifting emotions, her thoughts about love, and the societal constraints of her time, leading to a conversation with Denis that reveals unsettling truths about their past and the implications for their future. The opening sets the stage for a profound exploration of moral dilemmas and the struggle for personal integrity amidst familial and social pressures. (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.