Cover of Summer

Summer

by Edith Wharton

First published
1917
Reading level
Plain English
Price
Free

About the book

"Summer" by Edith Wharton is a novel published in 1917. Set in rural New England, it follows seventeen-year-old Charity Royall, who longs to escape her small mountain town and her guardian's oppressive home. When a charming young architect arrives, Charity experiences passion and possibility beyond her constrained world. But their romance leads to consequences that force her to confront harsh realities about class, desire, and survival. This controversial coming-of-age story explores a young woman's sexual awakening and the difficult choices she must make.

  • Young women
  • Love stories
  • Guardian and ward
  • Man-woman relationships
  • Berkshire Hills (Mass.)

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #166. Summer on Wikipedia.

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