Edith Wharton born Edith Newbold Jones (January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) 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.
Edith Wharton is best known for her novels exploring the lives and morals of the American upper class during the Gilded Age. Her notable works include "The Age of Innocence," "Ethan Frome," and "The House of Mirth." Her writing often delved into themes such as social class, marriage, and the constraints placed on individuals by society. She was noted for her keen observations and critiques of the society she belonged to.
Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she received in 1921 for "The Age of Innocence." She was also nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature three times. Apart from her literary career, Wharton was involved in various philanthropic activities during World War I and was known for her interior design expertise, co-authoring a book on interior decoration.