What Maisie Knew

What Maisie Knew is a novel by Henry James, published in 1897, that follows the perceptive young Maisie Farange, whose divorced parents use her as a pawn in their bitter custody battles and personal intrigues in late 19th-century London. Alternating between her self-absorbed, morally lax mother Ida and father Beale, Maisie observes their remarryings—Ida to the weak Sir Claude and Beale to her former governess Miss Overmore—while forming bonds with caregivers like the devoted Mrs. Wix. Through Maisie’s innocent yet acutely aware viewpoint, James explores themes of childhood innocence amid adult corruption, betrayal, and emotional neglect, as she navigates a world of shifting loyalties and ultimately chooses reliable love over parental chaos.