Read with Sharon - March 2024

The Wharton Plot - Mariah Frederick

There are three reasons I selected Mariah Frederick’s new book The Wharton Plot as thismonth’s pick. First, I love a good historical mystery, especially when it is based on a truestory. Secondly, my new book that is coming out this fall is based on another true story involving the Wharton Family a generation earlier. And thirdly, I love Mariah’s writing and this story.

I truly enjoyed reading author Edith Wharton as the protagonist and loved how Mariah got into Edith’s head, sharing her thoughts, fears, and disappointments. The characters are strong, and the plot builds in suspense as Edith unwinds the mystery of David Graham Phillips death. (And don’t google it if you don’t want to spoil the crazy conclusion!) It’s a combination of murder mystery and fictionalized biography that you are going to love!

This month, we will be joined by author Mariah Fredericks to discuss this incredible story. If you remember, Mariah joined us a few years ago with her book The Lindbergh Nanny. Please note the change in date. We will meet in Thursday, March 28 at 7:00 pm EST via zoom. I look forward to seeing you then.

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Reviews

Mariah Fredericks’ mesmerizing novel, The Wharton Plot, follows renowned novelist Edith Wharton in the twilight years of the Gilded Age in New York as she tracks a killer.

New York City, 1911. Edith Wharton, almost equally famed for her novels and her sharp tongue, is bone-tired of Manhattan. Finding herself at a crossroads with both her marriage and her writing, she makes the decision to leave America, her publisher, and her loveless marriage.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/126918887

A Pulitzer Prize–winning author probes the murder of a colleague.

Edith Wharton was no admirer of David Graham Phillips. She found the journalist’s dress affected and his opinions overzealous. But the day after their one and only meeting, the muckraker is shot to death near Gramercy Park, and the novelist’s curiosity is decidedly piqued.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mariah-fredericks/the-wharton-plot/

The Wharton Plot - Mariah Frederick

Book Club Questions

THE CHARACTER’S JOURNEY

  1. What did 1. you think of Edith?
  2. Would you have made the decision to move as Edith did?
  3. Did you find Edith likable?

THE STORY PLOT

  1. What did you know of the Gilded Age and Edith Wharton before reading this book?
  2. Who did you think committed the murder?

THE ENDING

  1. Did it work for you? What would you have changed?
  2. What do you think is the author’s message to readers of  The Wharton Plot?
  3. What did you take away from the book?
  4. Are you left with any questions?

SYMBOLISM AND FORESHADOWING

  1. Did you notice any symbolism?
  2. What foreshadowing did you notice? 

THE WRITING

  1. Use one adjective to describe the writing itself.
  2. What would you change if you could rewrite The Wharton Plot?

DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC

  1. What did you love most about the book?
  2. Did the book change any views/opinions that you have?

The Wharton Plot - Mariah Frederick