Edith Wharton’s Lost WWI Story Published in The Strand
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- Edith Wharton's unpublished short story "The Men Who Saved the World" was discovered in the Edith Wharton Collection at Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
- The Strand magazine published the story for the first time, presenting it in its latest quarterly issue.
- The manuscript dates to no earlier than July 1918 and consists of two corrected but undated typescripts that were incomplete and unpublished.
- Milly Arden, a young American nurse, is the central character who witnesses the privileged household's attempt to resume prewar normalcy while the war continues nearby.
- Andrew Gulli, editor‑in‑chief of The Strand, says the story’s contrast of a lavish dinner table—once an operating table for amputations—mirrors today’s denial of ongoing global conflicts.
- Isabelle Parsons analyzed the manuscripts for the Edith Wharton Review in 2023, noting its satirical critique of privileged women’s volunteerism and its experimental approach to war trauma.
- French chateau—once a field hospital where amputations were performed—serves as the opulent dinner venue in the story, highlighting the clash between luxury and wartime suffering.
Why it matters: Literary scholars and Wharton enthusiasts gain a fresh primary source that expands understanding of her WWI perspective, while the Strand secures a unique, marketable find that can attract new readers; the story’s stark contrast of opulence and war also invites contemporary reflection on ongoing global conflicts.
