A young American woman inherits a fortune she did not ask for and is thereby made free to choose — which is the trap. James thought this his most perfect design: an heiress, three suitors, an expatriate circle in Florence and Rome, and a marriage entered into for the noblest reason and the worst judgment. He revised it heavily in old age, and readers still argue about which version to read. This edition brings together the complete work — both volumes in one.
