The Portrait of a Lady is the story of a spirited young American woman, Isabel Archer, who, in "confronting her destiny", finds it overwhelming. Isabel, originally from Albany, is invited by her maternal aunt, Lydia Touchett, to visit London, following the death of Isabel's father. When the elder Touchett grows ill, at the request of his son, he leaves much of his estate to Isabel. With her large legacy, Isabel travels to Italy and meets several dubious people interested in her wealth.

Henry James (1843-1916) was an American-British writer who spent most of his writing career in Britain. James is regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He is best known for a number of novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, English people, and continental Europeans – examples of such novels include The Portrait of a Lady, The Ambassadors, and The Wings of the Dove.