"The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton masterfully captures the intricate social tapestry of 1870s New York, where rigid societal norms dictate the lives of its elite. Centered on the conflicted Newland Archer, who is betrothed to the lovely but conventional May Welland, the novel deepens as he falls for the free-spirited Countess Ellen Olenska. Through lush prose and keen social critique, Wharton explores themes of duty, desire, and the suffocating constraints of tradition.