The Custom of the Country

by Edith Wharton

"The Custom of the Country" by Edith Wharton is a novel published in 1913. It follows Undine Spragg, a beautiful and ambitious young woman from the Midwest who arrives in New York City determined to climb the social ladder. Through a series of marriages and affairs, Undine ruthlessly pursues wealth, status, and glamour, leaving destruction in her wake. The novel chronicles her relentless ascent through American and European high society, revealing the costs of her insatiable desires.