Wharton’s memoir is unconventional. In many ways, it is less about her and more about the people and places who shaped her, with sections on New York City, The Mount, London, Paris, and World War I.

It is also highly selective. An entire chapter is devoted to her friendship with Henry James, who she pokes fond fun of. Her husband, Teddy, gets a handful of sentences and is named only once, and even then only because James addresses him.”

Published in April 1934