rural poor

This novel centers on how the power of a person's culture can smother an individual's growth; Ethan Frome is a man tormented by a passionate love for his ailing wife's young cousin, and he is ultimately destroyed by that which offers him the greatest chance at happiness.

Describes the lives of photojournalist Vera Dare and her subject Mary, a migrant worker, whose paths cross in 1936 California.

Describes the lives of photojournalist Vera Dare and her subject Mary, a migrant worker, whose paths cross in 1936 California.

Presents two New England novels by Edith Wharton, including "Ethan Frome," the story of a young farmer who falls in love with the vivacious cousin of his hypochondriac wife, and "Summer," in which a young woman of humble origins defies society by engaging in a torrid love affair with a man far above her station.

Burdened by poverty and spiritually dulled by a loveless marriage to an older woman, Frome is emotionally stirred by the arrival of a youthful cousin who is employed as household help. Mattie's presence not only brightens a gloomy house but stirs long-dormant feelings in Ethan.

Contains the story of Ethan Frome, a New England farmer who is married to a hypochondriac, but in love with his wife's lively cousin, Mattie.