Anita Brookner

Although Ruth Weiss at forty is the picture of a scholarly professor of English, at twenty she briefly tasted the romantic life, much like her beloved heroines, Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary

At twenty-nine, Lily Bart dazzles at New York balls and soirees, but she knows that her days as a fascinating beauty are numbered, as she has not yet found a husband. But when she is accused of an affair with a wealthy married man, Lily is set to lose her life of luxury, her stability, and any hopes for the future.