Daisy Miller: A Study

A young woman’s freedom becomes everyone else’s scandal.

When Frederick Winterbourne meets Daisy Miller in Switzerland, he is captivated by her beauty, candor, and easy confidence. But the young American’s disregard for social convention soon draws disapproval from the wealthy expatriate community around them.

In Rome, Daisy’s friendship with a charming Italian gentleman fuels gossip and deepens Winterbourne’s uncertainty. Is she innocent of society’s expectations, or deliberately defying them? As suspicion hardens into judgment, his attempts to understand her reveal the limits of his own understanding.

From Switzerland’s lakeside resorts to the drawing rooms of Rome, Henry James explores attraction, class, reputation, and the consequences of judging by appearances. Daisy Miller: A Study is a compelling classic about a woman whose independence unsettles those around her—and the distance between seeing someone and truly knowing them.