Charity Royall is a young woman growing up in North Dormer, a dull village in the New England hills, raised by the lawyer Mr. Royall and chafing at the narrow life ahead of her. When Lucius Harney, a visiting young architect, arrives to study old houses, she experiences her first love and a sense of freedom. Wharton treats desire, class and a woman's limited choices with frankness unusual for its time. Often called her New England summer companion to Ethan Frome, it is a warmer but equally clear-sighted novel.