Books like The Touchstone by Edith Wharton

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece examines the glittering yet hollow glamour of the Roaring Twenties as the enigmatic Jay Gatsby pursues love, wealth, and identity across the social divide.

In post‑war New York, Newland Archer faces a dilemma when his fiancée’s cousin, the rebellious Ellen Olenska, challenges his elite society’s expectations and his own loyalty.

In wintry Starkfield, Massachusetts, disabled farmer Ethan Frome is trapped in a loveless marriage to Zeena while his unrequited love for Zeena’s cousin Mattie drives a desperate, tragic triangle that culminates in a failed attempt to escape together.

In Edith Wharton’s classic, Lily Bart, a beautiful and intelligent young woman devoted to luxury, struggles to navigate New York’s strict social hierarchy and moral expectations, ultimately confronting the limits of her independence.

Frank Norris's *McTeague*, a work of American literary fiction set in San Francisco, explores themes of greed and psychological depth.

A romance set amid the social circles of New York and England, exploring the evolving roles of young American women in the early twentieth century.

A brief account of a man’s overseas travel and his anticipation of a meeting, set against the social customs of the time.

Edith Wharton's satiric anatomy of American society in the first decade of the twentieth century appeared in 1913; it both appalled and fascinated its first reviewers, and established her as a major novelist. It follows the career of Undine Spragg, recently arrived in New York from the Midwest and determined to conquer high society. Glamorous, selfish, mercenary, and manipulative, her principal assets are her striking beauty, her tenacity, and her father's money. With her sights set on an advantageous marriage, Undine pursues her schemes in a world of shifting values, where triumph is swiftly followed by disillusion. Wharton was re-creating an environment she knew intimately, and Undine's education for social success is chronicled in meticulous detail. The novel superbly captures the world of post-Civil War Ameria, as ruthless in its social ambitions as in its business and politics. - Back cover.

The Awakening and Selected Stories of Kate Chopin

The Old Maid follows young Tina as she navigates family ties and social expectations in 1920s New York, culminating in a marriage that exposes hidden tensions between her adopted mother Delia and her birth‑aunt Charlotte.

Rachel Austin leaves Mirage, Texas, to chase modeling success while navigating love, loss, and danger—she discovers that true hope lies in Houston Bookout’s unwavering devotion.

The Reef follows American diplomat George Darrow as he navigates an illicit affair with widow Anna Leath while in France, exposing the moral contradictions of early 20th‑century society.

A romance set among wealthy Americans, following Nick and Susy as they navigate love and financial hopes, seeking marriage as a means of upward social mobility.

The Pit follows a ruthless wheat trader in Chicago as his ambition to control the market spirals out of control, exposing the ruthless forces of turn‑of‑the‑century capitalism.

Three middle-aged women face midlife crises and choose partners to complete them, leading to a tragic ending.

A modest New York shop in the early nineteenth‑century, known locally as the Bunner Sisters, catered to a fashionable clientele amid the city's horse‑car traffic and cultural venues.