The Age of Innocence

Newland Archer could not dream of anyone better suited to be his fiancée than his beloved, May Welland. She’s innocent and beautiful and comes from a well-regarded aristocratic family. So why can’t Newland stop thinking about May’s cousin, the scandalous Countess Ellen Olenska? Not only does the Countess wear revealing clothing and express unconventional (and unpopular) views, she’s also rumored to have done the unacceptable: divorce her husband, the Polish Count. Yet despite it all, Newland cannot help but feel that May is a bland debutante compared to her cousin. As their wedding approaches, Archer must decide if the rules of society are more important than his personal happiness. First published in 1920, this is an unabridged version of Edith Warton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning American novel.