The Age of Innocence
- First published
- 1920
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton is a novel published in 1920. Set in 1870s upper-class New York society, it follows Newland Archer, a gentleman lawyer preparing to marry the beautiful but sheltered May Welland. His secure world shifts when May's unconventional cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, arrives from Europe, fleeing a scandalous marriage. As Newland grows fascinated by Ellen's bold defiance of social rules, he faces an agonizing choice between duty and desire in a world where appearances matter more than truth.
- New York (N.Y.)
- Love stories
- Domestic fiction
- Married people
- Triangles (Interpersonal relations)
- Separated people
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #541. The Age of Innocence on Wikipedia.
