The Children (Virago Modern Classics) - Softcover

Wharton, Edith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 184408292X ISBN 13: 9781844082926

Publisher: Virago, 2016

Synopsis

On a cruise ship between Algiers and Venice Martin Boyne, a bachelor in his forties, befriends a band of ebullient, precocious children. The seven Wheater stepbrothers and sisters, grown weary of being shuttled between mother and father 'like bundles', are eager for their parents' latest reconciliation to last. They are kept together as a 'family' by the eldest, Judith, who takes on the role of protector. Genuinely outraged at the plight of the 'homeless' and fought-over children, Boyne finds himself increasingly drawn to their enchanting, improper and liberating ways. Among the colourful cast of characters are the Wheater adults, who play out their own comedy of marital errors; the flamboyant Marchioness of Wrench; and the vivacious fifteen-year-old Judith Wheater, who captures Martin's heart. With deft humour and touching drama, Wharton portrays a world of intrigues and infidelities, skewering the manners and mores of Americans abroad.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

In The Children, an instant bestseller when it was first published in 1928, Edith Wharton created a comic, bittersweet novel about the misadventures of a bachelor and a band of precocious children. The seven Wheater children, stepbrothers and-sisters grown weary of being shuttled from parent to parent 'like bundles, ' are eager for their parents' latest reconciliation to last. A chance meeting between the children and the solitary forty-six-year old Martin Boyne leads to a series of unforgettable encounters.

About the Author:

Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was born into a prosperous New York family in 1862. She wrote over fifteen novels, was distinguished for her work in the First World War and was the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Letters from Yale University. She died in France at the age of 75.

About this edition

• Publisher: Virago
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 184408292X
• ISBN 13: 9781844082926
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 370