"With the intention of making a suitable match, Undine Spragg and her parents move to New York where her youthful, radiant beauty and ruthless ambition prove an irresistible force. Here Edith Wharton dissects the traditions, pretensions and prohibitions of American and European society - both the ostentatious glitter of the nouveau riche and the faded grandeur of the upper classes"
Painting is "Looking at Drawings" Adolfo Belimbau 1854.
Every single book of Edith Wharton is designated One of My Favourites and these now encompass nearly all her output, but this particular title is near the top of the list...
