Edith Wharton, born Edith Newbold Jones on January 24, 1862, in New York City, was a luminary of American literature during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Arising from a wealthy and distinguished family, the saying 'keeping up with the Joneses' is rumored to reference her socialite family's affluence. Wharton broke through the confinements of her upper-class upbringing and the limited roles available to women in her era to become a celebrated novelist, short story writer, and designer. In her illustrious career, Wharton penned more than forty books over forty years, including 'The Age of Innocence,' for which she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1921. Her narratives often explored the intersection of the individual and the rigid standards of the societal milieu, which she richly depicted with psychological depth and keen social insight. Her novella collection 'Old New York' is a remarkable illustration of this, being an evocative portrait of New York society across the latter half of the 19th century. Wharton's literary style exudes elegance and incisive wit, with an acute portrayal of the internal and external conflicts faced by her characters. She passed away on August 11, 1937, in France, leaving a legacy of works that continue to resonate and reflect the complexities of the human condition.