Summer

A season of awakening, where desire and consequence unfold within the confines of a small world.

In Summer, Edith Wharton presents a vivid and emotionally charged narrative set in rural New England, exploring themes of independence, sexuality, and social constraint. With a directness unusual for its time, the novel examines the inner life of a young woman navigating the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Charity Royall, raised in a quiet and restrictive community, longs for experience beyond the limits of her surroundings. The arrival of a young architect from the city introduces both opportunity and risk, as her desire for connection and change draws her into a relationship that challenges the boundaries imposed by her environment. As the season progresses, what begins as liberation becomes increasingly entangled with vulnerability, responsibility, and the realities of social judgment.

Wharton’s narrative is both intimate and unsentimental, presenting personal awakening alongside the structures that shape and limit it. Summer endures as a bold exploration of desire, agency, and consequence within a tightly bounded world.

This Carlini Classics edition presents the complete, unabridged text in a beautifully designed format made to last.

• A powerful coming-of-age story centered on independence and desire
• A nuanced exploration of social constraint and personal choice
• A timeless reflection on growth, consequence, and identity

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.

• Ebook: DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.

• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.

Elegantly produced and enduring in form, this edition preserves Wharton’s incisive storytelling in a volume designed for lasting reflection.

About the author

Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer, renowned for her sharp social commentary and penetrating exploration of human relationships. Best known for classics like The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth, she captured the constraints and complexities of Gilded Age society with wit, elegance, and psychological depth. A trailblazer in literature, Wharton remains one of the most celebrated voices in American fiction.