This transformation of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirthinto a powerful, modern story of one woman's struggle with independence and love is "a beach read with a touch of literary pedigree.…A rich romp" ( Elle). Eleanor Hart had made a brilliant marriage in New York, but it ended in a scandalous divorce and thirty days in Sierra Tucson rehab. Now she finds that, despite feminist lip service, she will still need a husband to be socially complete. Ellie must navigate the treacherous social terrain where old money meets new: charitable benefits and tequila body shots, inherited diamonds and viper-bite lip piercings, country house weekends and sexting. She finds that her beauty is a powerful tool in this world, but it has its limitations, even liabilities. Through one misstep after another, Ellie mishandles her second act. Her options narrow, and now she faces a desperate choice. Gilded Ageis an assured and revelatory debut novel about class, gender, and the timeless conundrum of femininity.