"The Mother's Recompense" is a novel written by Edith Wharton, an American novelist known for her works exploring the lives and morals of the American upper class during the Gilded Age. "The Mother's Recompense" was first published in 1925. The novel revolves around the character Kate Clephane, a woman who has spent many years in Europe away from her son, Lawrence. As she returns to the United States, she is determined to reestablish a relationship with her estranged son. The narrative explores themes of motherhood, societal expectations, and the consequences of choices made in the pursuit of personal happiness.