Lily Bart is young, beautiful, and a welcome guest at the social events of New York's high society. However, with her family's ruin, she can only continue her life in these elite circles if she finds a wealthy husband. Lily must decide: will she accept a life of wealth and luxury as a mere ornament at a man's side, or will she choose to live according to her true feelings?

As in "The Age of Innocence," Pulitzer Prize winner Edith Wharton also presents herself in her 1905 social satire as a cool observer, dissecting the glamorous and superficial circles of the rich and beautiful with bitterly sharp wit. Includes a concise biography of the author.