Edith Wharton stands out among American novelists for her portrayal of social clashes within the high society of New York City during a time when pre-Civil War power was shifting to post-war power. Wharton was a member of an "old" family that wanted her to play the expected role of social hostess. Wharton took to writing instead. Her first success was The House of Mirth in 1905. Her 1920 work, The Age of Innocence, won the Pulitzer Prize. Different from her other works is the short novel Ethan Frome, a tale of a frustrated infatuation in a decaying New England village.