I found this two-in-one hardcover in this Little Free Library in Milford NH while dropping off some books of my own.

Ethan Frome: I found this grim little tale - a longish short story, really - to be extremely chilling. Hadn't really thought of it as a horror story before but it certainly qualifies in my opinion! Quite different from Wharton's tales of wealthy New York socialites - although the desire for something just out of reach is here, as well...

[There's a TV Tropes page on the novel and some of its adaptations, with some entertaining tidbits. And there's a 1993 film adaptation that's worth checking out.]

Summer: I admit that I became prejudiced against hapless heroine Charity when I found that she took her job as the local librarian very casually, even though she probably had cause. She only worked a couple of hours a few days a week - very small town, very small library - and tended to cut out early even then, leaving the books undusted and subject to damage. Granted, she hadn't been trained to deal with the books, and nobody else seemed particularly concerned - until the handsome young stranger came to town and immediately checked out the library...

The story proper deals with Charity's attempts to rise above her problematic birth, and her tempting relationship with young Harney, the book-loving visitor - and, of course, things go wrong, from an unwanted pregnancy to the discovery that her beloved isn't free. Whether the conclusion of the story seems like a good option or a barely-settling one is probably up to the reader, though given the setting it may be the best our poor girl could hope for.

I didn't love this one, not finding it as compelling as many of her other works - but maybe I just can't get past Charity's attitude towards that library {wry grin}. [My favorite Wharton works include her Ghost Stories, House of Mirth, and Custom of the Country.

I left this book in this new-to-me Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in MA here.]

*** Released for the 2019 Movie release challenge. ***