TEHRAN-The Persian translation of the novel “Summer” written by Edith Wharton has been released in bookstores across Iran.

Mazdak Bolouri has translated the book and Ofogh Publication has brought it out in 224 pages, Mehr reported.

The book was originally published in 1917 by Charles Scribner's Sons. While most novels by Wharton dealt with New York's upper-class society, this is one of two novels by the author with rural settings. Its themes include social class, the role of women in society, destructive relationships, sensual awakening and the desire of its protagonist, named Charity Royall. The novel was rather controversial for its time and is one of the less famous among her novels because of its subject matter.

A naive girl from a humble background meets an ambitious city boy, and a torrid romance ensues. Despite her pride, independence, and honesty, Charity Royall feels shadowed by her past--especially in her ardent relationship with the educated and refined Lucius Harney. Can passion overcome the effects of heredity and environment?

With its frank treatment of a woman's sensual awakening, “Summer” created a sensation upon its 1917 publication. Wharton — a peerless observer and chronicler of society — completely shattered the standards of conventional love stories with this novel's candor and realism. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author declared “Summer” a personal favorite among her works.

Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was an American writer and designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York “aristocracy” to portray, realistically, the lives and morals of the Gilded Age.

In 1921, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, for her novel, “The Age of Innocence”. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, in 1996.

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