Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, 1911

A story of despair and bleakness, Ethan Frome is typical of an Edith Wharton novel where her characters are trapped in their lives while tantalizingly close to what they crave.

The typical backdrop for Wharton's novels is opulent New York society.  To further compound her characters' despair though, Wharton sets Ethan Frome in Starkfield, a small western Massachusetts town during the winter.

The novel revolves around Frome, who is forced to return to Starkfield from his studies after his father has a farming accident.  He then enters into a loveless marriage with his sickly wife, Zeena.

He is awakened when he becomes enthralled with Mattie, Zeena's cousin who comes to stays with them. 

Typical of a Wharton novel, Frome is provided a taste of an educated man's life and a taste of happiness with Mattie, but ultimately, is prevented from having what he craves.

Wharton is one of my favorite authors and conveys human longing so well.  What is fascinating about Ethan Frome is how the Starkfield winters blends in with the bleakness of her characters' lives and becomes as memorable as any of her characters.