"Charity Royall, a New Englander of humble origins, begins a torrid love affair with aristocratic Lucius Harney against all societal norms." *** "The novel Wharton called her 'hot Ethan' is set in the Massachusetts Berkshires and delves into the thwarted dreams and sexual passions of a repressed rural woman." *** "Charity Royall, brought down from the Mountain when she was an infant, is a ward of Lawyer Royall. Lucius Harney becomes Charity's lover...