'She was like a plant that had grown too fast, and weakened its fibres.'

First serialised in Scribner's Magazine in 1905, The House of Mirth is a brutal tragedy which recounts one woman's descent into social isolation.

In the glittering salons and drawing rooms of Gilded Age New York, where wealth is worshipped and reputations are fragile, Lily Bart is the star of the show. At twenty-nine, she is beautiful, charming and socially adept – bred for a life of luxury and yet, after her father's loss of wealth, is teetering on the edge of poverty. Lily needs to marry rich – and quickly – but every time the opportunity knocks in the form of a dull financier or a crass heir, she recoils. Soon enough, whispers about Lily's love life turn to scandal, and previous allies soon become enemies, resulting in a painful fall from social grace. Poignantly insightful, Wharton exposes a superficial world in which appearances trump morality and where women without a husband are cruelly disposable. This audiobook is beautifully narrated by Stephanie Cannon.

Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was an American designer, novelist and short story writer. Renowned for her portrayal of upper-class New York aristocracy in the Gilded Age in her work, Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with her acclaimed novel, The Age of Innocence. She is still widely read to this day.