Published in 2020 (first published 1922)
2 hours and 41 minutes
Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was raised in New York City in a socially prominent family. She wrote the novels The Age of Innocence, Ethan Frome, Old New York, The Old Maid, and The House of Mirth.
What is this book about?
Della Ralston is hosting her cousin Charlotte when she finds out a surprising fact – Charlotte is the mother of Tina, a young girl living at a nearby orphanage. Charlotte has kept the child a secret for many years and is set to be married to Joe Ralston, a man who does not know about this secret daughter.
Della is quickly pulled into a plot to ensure that Charlotte is not separated from her daughter. When a series of circumstances ends with Charlotte and Tina moving into Della’s home, Della and Charlotte work to ensure that Tina has a chance at a good future.
This novella is a fascinating dramatic look at the difficulties that illicit affairs can create in a family unit. The Old Maid has been adapted into a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama and remains one of Edith Wharton’s most compelling works of fiction.
