A sparkling glimpse into the life of Edith Wharton and the scandalous love affair that threatened her closest friendship

THE AGE OF DESIRE transports the reader to Edith Wharton's life in the Gilded Age: glamorous salons and literary banter in Paris and parties with Henry James and Teddy Roosevelt at her elegant estate in Massachusetts. But, the real heart of the book is Wharton's relationship with the little-known woman named Anna Bahlmann. Anna was Edith's governess turned literary secretary, her confessor and confident. The real world was rapidly changing, and, unlike Anna, Edith couldn't help but follow its lead.

Extraordinary coincidence, such as the sudden discovery of over 100 letters from Edith to Anna Bahlmann make the tale of the writing of this novel a page-turner of its own. Research showed that Edith at age 45, already world-famous for her writing, but tangled in a joyless, sexless marriage embarked on an illicit affair with a young journalist. It was through this relationship, she finally felt she had lived life. The story is broadened by the point of view of Anna Bahlmann, Edith's once governess and now literary secretary who views it all with tenderness and distress.

Told through the points of view of both women, THE AGE OF DESIRE takes the reader on a vivid journey through Wharton's exciting world.