The Mount, Edith Wharton's country place in the Berkshires, is truly an autobiographical house. There Wharton wrote some of her best-known and successful novels, including "Ethan Frome "and "House of Mirth." The house itself, completed in 1902, embodies principles set forth in Wharton's famous book "The Decoration of Houses," and the surrounding landscape displays her deep knowledge of Italian gardens. Wandering the grounds of this historic home, one can see the influence of Wharton's inimitable spirit in its architecture and design, just as one can sense the Mount's impact on the...