Summer and Ethan Frome: Wharton’s New England novellas
Summer (1917) is often described as a companion piece to her other rural work, Ethan Frome. This is a small community New England novel focusing on the story of a young woman who’s on the cusp of adulthood, not the usual glittering New York set.
Young Charity and her sexual awakening
Sexual awakening, youthful fears, hopes and dreams, love, and the very real and depressing lack of options collide when a young, handsome stranger comes into town. Can Charity forge a connection, or is her small universe too tiny to fit anyone else in?
She’s trying to better herself: working part-time at the local library, but she still lives with her guardian, who begins making unwanted advances towards her. So when a handsome stranger arrives in town, her life starts to take a different direction… or does it? Passion and fate collide.
Charity’s choices are constrained: the novel builds on this tension and keeps us guessing as to her future.
A New England pastoral with a dark side
The descriptions of the small library, the community and the surrounding towns are wonderful. The contrast between the poorer mountain community is powerfully felt.
Many subjects that still feel modern appear in the novel: abortion, marriage, sexual coercion and autonomy.
Read if you want to read a book with a charming heroine or enjoy a classic that’s slim but still packs a punch. Great summer reading pick too!
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