The Fifth Wheel: A Novel

"The Fifth Wheel: A Novel" by Olive Higgins Prouty is a tale set in the early 1900s, following Ruth Vars as she steps into the high society of New England. Introduced while wandering through the country, Ruth contemplates her life and the pressures of her social debut. We learn about her upbringing, the expectations to climb the social ladder, and her uneasy relationship with her sister-in-law, Edith. As Ruth anticipates her coming-out party and early interactions with the affluent Breckenridge Sewall, she wrestles with her own ambitions and the burden of her family's hopes, setting the stage for a story of self-discovery and the search for purpose within the strict rules of society.