Edith Newbold Jones was an American writer known as Edith Wharton .
Biographical summary
She was born on January 24, 1862 in New York , United States . Although she went down in literary history as Edith Wharton, the real name of this novelist, who also devoted herself to writing stories and designing, was Edith Newbold Jones.
She was 23 years old when she abandoned her bachelorhood to marry a man twelve years her senior, named Edgard “Teddy” Robbins Wharton. However, the marriage did not prosper due to her husband’s persistent and public infidelities, which affected her both physically and mentally, which is why they divorced in 1913 .
Literary career
After publishing her stories in Scribner’s Magazine and creating the historical novel The Valley of Decision, Wharton managed to attract critics with The House of Mirth, which was considered her first great work.
The First World War found the writer in French territory . At that time, the novelist fully devoted herself to social work: she ran workhouses for unemployed women, organized concerts with musicians without opportunities, supported hospitals for tuberculosis patients, founded the American Hostels as a way of collaborating with Belgian refugees and worked for the Red Cross , help that was recognized by the French government through the awarding of the cross of the Legion of Honor.
Her career also includes her membership in the American Academy and the National Institute of Arts and Letters. Edith Wharton was also the first woman to receive the gold medal from the institute, awarded by the United States government .
Years after the appearance of her first major work, the author’s turn came to taste success again in 1920 thanks to “The Age of Innocence,” a work that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 and that had a successful film adaptation in 1993 , with the participation of Michele Pffeifer, Daniel Day Lewis , Winona Ryder and other figures. Two years later, Wharton again received recognition, this time by becoming the first woman named Doctor Honoris Causa by Yale University .
Beyond her literary achievements, the author also earned respect as a landscaper and style consultant. In “House Decoration” and “Italian Villas,” among other texts, Wharton reveals some of her insights.
Death
Death surprised Edith Wharton on August 11, 1937 , when she had not yet finished what would be her last novel, which was titled “The Buccaneers.” In order not to leave this work unfinished, Marion Mainwaring carried out a thorough analysis of the notes and synopsis left by the writer and, finally, was able to complete the book.