The Mount Lives On ... for Now

A few winters ago driving through Massachusetts to Vermont, I looked to my right while at a traffic light and made a surprising discovery. There was the sign for Edith Wharton's home, The Mount. I'd read a few of Wharton's books, and loved them. I had no idea she'd had an estate in Massachusetts. I couldn't visit then because it was closed for the season.

When I returned home, I Googled "The Mount." I was shocked to learn that the estate was threatened with bankruptcy, and I a wrote a blog post about how to help save it. Fortunately, gifts have enabled the historic site to remain open. At least for now.

Returning from Vermont this week, I made my long awaited visit to The Mount. Needless to say, I was thrilled to walk in a favorite author's footsteps and imagine her living there, and awed by the beauty of the home and gardens she designed. In the coming days, I'll take you on a virtual tour with my words and pictures.
Read More At:
Save The Mount
First Woman to Win Pulitzer

Edith Wharton Society

The International Edith Wharton Society first met in 1983, and continues to "foster Wharton scholarship." The Society's website features information about and links to related conference sessions and publications, and excellent biographical and historical information about Edith Wharton, her writings, and the history of the time in which she lived. Membership in the Edith Wharton Society is inexpensive, and includes a subscription to The Edith Wharton Review.

First Woman to Win Pulitzer

Writer Edith Wharton was the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize, awarded to her in 1921 for The Age of Innocence. Born to an established New York family in 1862, Wharton's books chronicled the society in which she lived, often mocking the absurdities of trading one's true self for wealth and position. In all Wharton wrote more than 40 volumes, consisting of novels, short stories, poetry and non-fiction. She received the French Legion of Honor for her work during World War I, and an honorary doctorate from Yale in 1923, the first woman to do so.

Wharton's best known works include:

The House of Mirth (1905)
Ethan Frome (1911)
Summer (1917)
The Age of Innocence (1920)
Old New York (1924)

Which of her works have touched you?