The Valley of Decision : Edith Wharton (Classics, Literature) [Annotated]

"The Valley of Decision, is set in eighteenth-century Italy.

Here Wharton pits folks inspired by the antireligious thoughts of Rousseau and Voltaire against the orthodox leaders of the day.

Soon enough Wharton's night-constant theme comes through: this, like most other violations of personal convention, will come at a terrible cost."