Profile of the Day: Edith Wharton

Do you have any writers in your family tree? On this day in 1937, author Edith Wharton died at the age of 75 in Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt, France.

Image: Edith Wharton / Wikimedia Commons

Wharton was born Edith Newbold Jones on January 24, 1862 to George Frederic Jones and Lucretia Stevens Rhinelander. The saying “keeping up with the Joneses” is said to refer to her paternal family, who were a very wealthy and socially prominent New York family. Wharton began writing poetry and fiction as a young girl and at the age of 11, attempted to write her first novel. Although she had a thirst for knowledge and desired a greater education, women of her social stature were discouraged from such intellectual pursuits.

Despite writing many short stories and poems, Wharton did not publish her first novel until she was nearly 40 years old. Some of her greatest novels include Ethan Frome, The Age of Innocence, and The House of Mirth. In 1921, she won the Pulitzer Prize for The Age of Innocence, making her the first woman to win the prestigious award for fiction.

Explore Edith Wharton’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re connected to the author. 

View Edith Wharton’s Geni Profile