Step into the glittering but whisper-filled world of Gilded Age New York. Edgar Saltus’s Eden: An Episode (1888) is a sharp, atmospheric domestic drama that follows Eden, a beautiful and refined young woman who enters into marriage with John Usselex, a wealthy and socially prominent older man.
But behind the gilded facades of high society, appearances are rarely what they seem. Haunted by a past heartbreak and unsettled by the mysterious rumors surrounding her new husband's past, Eden must navigate a web of social gossip, unspoken secrets, and her own shifting ideas of love and loyalty. A brilliant example of American Decadent literature, this poignant classic explores the fragile boundary between romantic ideals and the harsh realities of high society.