The old maid

Classic Edith Wharton, 'The Old Maid' was first published as a serial in 'The Red Book Magazine.' Through this heart-rending and haunting tale, Wharton takes aim at the notions of conformity and delivers a scathing judgement on the conventions of life in the early 20th Century. In the story, the unmarried and prudish Charlotte Lovell gives up her baby daughter, Tina, to her married cousin, Delia. As time goes by and Tina grows, the two women must decide which of them is the 'real' mother and whether Tina should ever know the truth of her past. A searing and melancholic story from the pen of one of America's greatest novelists. Edith Wharton (1862 – 1937) was an American designer and novelist. Born in an era when the highest ambition a woman could aspire to was a good marriage, Wharton went on to become one of America's most celebrated authors. During her career, she wrote over 40 books, using her wealthy upbringing to bring authenticity and detail to stories about the upper classes. She moved to France in 1923, where she continued to write until her death.