Born into upper-class American society, Wharton was privately educated. She married a Boston banker in 1885, but as her older husband’s mental health deteriorated, she devoted herself to writing. The success of her 1905 novel The House of Mirth established her as a leading writer, but she is perhaps best known for 1911’s Ethan Frome, which explores the grimmer possibilities of New England farm life. What common saying is thought to have originally referred to Wharton’s family? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary