In this perhaps less known novel by Wharton, she takes on some big issues in addition to her usual exploration of New York society and its foibles. Here, she looks at labor and industrial conditions, with horrid and dangerous working conditions and exploitation of workers, and the wealth created for owners and how they use that wealth. The novel also considers the issue of euthanasia.

John, one of the managers at the factory, is an idealist who wants to put in reforms to make conditions better for the workers. He meets newly-widowed Bessie, who has become the owner of the factory after her husband's death. He wants to convince her to make the reforms. Bessie falls in love with John, and in theory with his idealism, and they marry. But will Bessie be able to forgo at least a tiny bit of her accustomed life of luxury in order to make matters better for the workers?

Another important character is Justine, who John also meets at the beginning of the novel. Although she is of a high social class, she is a nurse, and seems to share many of John's views regarding reform. She is friends with Bessie, and becomes a semi-companion to Bessie. Later, when Justine is observed giving a drug overdose to a patient with little chance of survival and only prolonged suffering to look forward to, she becomes the victim of blackmail.

Wharton, as always writes beautifully, and her characters are precisely observed. A large part of the drama of this book is the way in which the three main characters miscommunication or fail to communicate with each other, and the tragedies that leads to. The ending is magnificent. ( )