The Valley of Decision

The Valley of Decision is a novel written by Edith Wharton, published in 1902. The story is set in the late 18th century in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and follows the lives of two families, the Scotts and the Fergusons. The Scotts are wealthy and influential, while the Fergusons are poor and struggling. The novel explores themes of love, class, and social mobility.The plot revolves around the romance between Mary Scott, the daughter of the wealthy Scott family, and Paul Ferguson, the son of the struggling Ferguson family. Their love is tested by the class differences between their families, as well as by the disapproval of Mary's father. Meanwhile, the Scotts and the Fergusons are caught up in the political and economic turmoil of the time, as the United States is on the brink of war with France.The Valley of Decision is a complex and nuanced portrayal of American society in the late 18th century. Wharton's writing is elegant and insightful, and her characters are fully realized and multi-dimensional. The novel has been praised for its historical accuracy and its exploration of social and political issues that are still relevant today.At length the moon rose, and toward midnight Odo, spurring out of a dark glen, found himself at the opening of the valley of Donnaz. A cold radiance bathed the familiar pastures, the houses of the village along the stream, and the turrets and crenellations of the castle at the head of the gorge. The air was bitter, and the horses' hoofs struck sharply on the road as they trotted past the slumbering houses and halted at the gateway through which Odo had first been carried as a sleepy child.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.