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April Showers
Edith Wharton (January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer and designer. In 1902 she built The Mount, her estate in Lenox, Massachusetts, which survives today as the supreme example of her design principles. The house and its gardens have been extensively restored. There, Edith Wharton wrote several of her novels, including The House of Mirth (1905), the first of many chronicles of the true nature of old New York, and entertained the cream of American literary society, including her close friend, the novelist Henry James. The Age of Innocence (1920) won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for literature, making her the first woman to win the award. She spoke flawless French as well as several other languages and many of her books were published in both French and English. Wharton was friend and confidante to many gifted intellectuals of her Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, and André Gide were all guests of hers at one time or another. She was also good friends with Theodore Roosevelt. Many of Wharton's novels are characterized by a subtle use of dramatic irony. Having grown up in upper-class pre-World War I society, Wharton became one of its most astute critics. - Wikipedia
10 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2009
45 people want to read
About the author
Edith Wharton
1,501 books5,343 followersEdith Wharton emerged as one of America’s most insightful novelists, deftly exposing the tensions between societal expectation and personal desire through her vivid portrayals of upper-class life. Drawing from her deep familiarity with New York’s privileged “aristocracy,” she offered readers a keenly observed and piercingly honest vision of Gilded Age society.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 31, 2013
I liked reading the book “April Showers”. This story was about a young girl who really enjoyed writing. She started writing short stories in her free time but her parents were against that sort of thing at the time. She starts to send in some of the stories she writes and is hoping to have them ge accepted. If they are accepted, it could dramatically affect her life and help her family.
The characters in this book are Theodora, Johnny, and her parents. Theodora is very good writer and enjoys reading in her free time. Johnny is a young boy and likes sport. The parents are very strict.
The setting takes place in her boarding school. It is based off of old days and old style writing. The characters spend their time in school and home.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys older style writing like older men or women. This was a much different style of writing that I am used to reading so it was interesting to try something new. The author is very detailed throughout the story of the different scenes and explains well. I liked this book and it always kept me interested.
The characters in this book are Theodora, Johnny, and her parents. Theodora is very good writer and enjoys reading in her free time. Johnny is a young boy and likes sport. The parents are very strict.
The setting takes place in her boarding school. It is based off of old days and old style writing. The characters spend their time in school and home.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys older style writing like older men or women. This was a much different style of writing that I am used to reading so it was interesting to try something new. The author is very detailed throughout the story of the different scenes and explains well. I liked this book and it always kept me interested.
February 16, 2020
I have arranged my takeaway thoughts into a haiku:
"The gusto of youth,
One learns is a harsh teacher
Everyone has met."
"The gusto of youth,
One learns is a harsh teacher
Everyone has met."
Read
November 5, 2013“April Showers” by Edith Wharton is a short story about a woman that just wants to do what she loves and become a writer. She loves to write poems, but her parents are what’s holding her back from living the life she wants to live. Her parents are very strict and are always work before fun so that she gets to achieve more and do more in the future.
The story takes place in her house, which is almost like a castle from the old days and in the boarding school that her parents have her enrolled in. It is not a modern time book, but it is still a well put together book.
In the beginning of the book, she wants to do what she wants to do, but is too scared of her parents telling her to do something different. She hopes and dreams that one day she will not have to obey her parents. Theodora and Johnny are trying to help her and let her do what she wants to do.
The main characters are; Kathleen Kyd, Theodora, Johnny, and her mother and father. They are all in the story, but the story is mainly about Theodora and her writing skills and her life. Everyone else has a big role in the story, because without them she wouldn’t get to accomplish her dreams.
The story takes place in her house, which is almost like a castle from the old days and in the boarding school that her parents have her enrolled in. It is not a modern time book, but it is still a well put together book.
In the beginning of the book, she wants to do what she wants to do, but is too scared of her parents telling her to do something different. She hopes and dreams that one day she will not have to obey her parents. Theodora and Johnny are trying to help her and let her do what she wants to do.
The main characters are; Kathleen Kyd, Theodora, Johnny, and her mother and father. They are all in the story, but the story is mainly about Theodora and her writing skills and her life. Everyone else has a big role in the story, because without them she wouldn’t get to accomplish her dreams.
October 4, 2011
The story, "April Showers" is a great and complete story. I fell in love with her whole feeling for this story. The way Edith Wharton wrote the story, you could tell there was true passion for writing. The story begins, with a soppy love story, signed by the writers fake name. The story goes on and it get's a bit tedious after awhile. Then when you find out, This story, is inspirational and extremely heart-felt. I give this story, a 8/10.
June 12, 2024
This is a cute but a bit sad little story about a girl called Theodora who is passionate about literature and dreams of including herself in the perennial constellation of the eminent women writers who have been captivating readers through their splendid writing for generations now.
However, Theodora's first endeavour to become a writer leaves a sour taste in her mouth as she encounters the not so pleasant reality of publication houses/newspapers.
The writing was beautiful and straightforward but not as compelling as I had expected it to be.
However, Theodora's first endeavour to become a writer leaves a sour taste in her mouth as she encounters the not so pleasant reality of publication houses/newspapers.
The writing was beautiful and straightforward but not as compelling as I had expected it to be.
February 24, 2016
3.5 stars
April 11, 2017
Excellent illustration about women challenging the status quo -- breaking the gender barriers of their time.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews