Ethan Frome

Ethan Frome, published in 1911, is Edith Wharton’s stark and haunting novella set in the bleak New England town of Starkfield. The story centers on Ethan, a struggling farmer trapped in a loveless marriage, who falls in love with his wife’s lively cousin, Mattie. Through spare prose and psychological depth, Wharton explores themes of isolation, duty, unfulfilled desire, and the crushing effects of environment and circumstance. The novel’s tragic arc and bleak atmosphere make it one of Wharton’s most powerful and enduring works.