The Old Maid

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.

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Another Poignant Story by E. Wharton

Happy endings are not to be expected in a Wharton novel. But a dry observance of people and circumstances are standard. This novel delivers that beautifully. Unfortunately, the narrator undermines some of that ruthless clarity with a saccharine whine that sidles up to melodrama, at times. But, her enunciation is clear and, usually, the emphasis is on the correct word.