Edith Wharton, born into old money, was brought up in the aristocratic society of New York in the late 1800s. She was a rebel of a woman, born before her time. Edith was raised with a lot of pressure to be a proper woman and wife, though her limited beauty and insistence to read and write brought trouble into her romantic life. What dalliances she did indulge in with men in her social circle always ended poorly. Even her eventual marriage was not a happy one, and she and her husband were both unfaithful. Ultimately, she moved herself to Europe and filed for a divorce. This theme of romantic frustration is seen frequently in her works as an author, which include well known stories like House of Mirth, Ethan Frome, and The Age of Innocence. It was due to her father's extensive library and a governess's intentional teachings that Edith developed such a powerful literary voice. In 1921, Edith Wharton became the first woman in history to win the Pulitzer Prize with a story that criticized the mating rituals of New York society. She spent her golden years in the French countryside, where she passed away on August 11, 1937.