Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is a tragic novella set in bleak rural Massachusetts, following the title character trapped in a loveless marriage and his doomed love for his wife's cousin, Mattie. Through sparse prose and a devastating conclusion, Wharton explores duty, desire, and the consequences of choosing wrong. The novella becomes both love story and horror tale, proving that Wharton understood how circumstances trap people and that some endings are worse than death.

WHY WE PICKED IT: Because Wharton wrote the bleakest love story in American literature, showing how poverty and duty destroy lives. This devastating novella reminds us that the sledding scene is unforgettable, that Ethan's choices lead to living death, and that Wharton's New England is as harsh as her New York is gilded.

DETAILS: • Author: Edith Wharton • Publisher: Penguin Classics • Format: Paperback • Publication Date: October 25, 2005 • ISBN: 9780142437803 • Ships direct from distributor in 3–7 business days