title: What Maisie Knew (Penguin Classics)
author: Henry James
description: Novel by Henry James, published in 1897. Set mostly in England, the novel is related from the perspective of Maisie, a preadolescent whose parents were divorced when she was six years old and who spends six months of the year with each parent. The only emotional constant in Maisie's life is Mrs. Wix, a motherly old governess. Maisie's parents marry other partners, but neither marriage succeeds. Her new stepparents are attracted to each other, divorce Maisie's parents, and marry. Maisie knows intuitively that she cannot depend on the adults in her life, and she chooses to live with Mrs. Wix, on whose unconditional love she can depend. -- <i><a href="/exec/obidos/isbn=0877790426/${0}">The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature</a></i>
zlib_text: # The Project Gutenberg eBook, What Maisie Knew, by Henry
  
  
  James
  
  
  
  
      
  
  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
  
  
  almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
  
  
  re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
  
  
  with this eBook or online at [www.gutenberg.net](http://www.gutenberg.net)
  
  
  
  
  
  Title: What Maisie Knew
  
  
  Author: Henry James
  
  
  Release Date: March 12, 2003 [eBook
  
  
  #7118]  
  
  
  [Most recently updated and HTML version added: November 9,
  
  
  2005]
  
  
  Language: English
  
  
  Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
  
  
  ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHAT
  
  
  MAISIE KNEW***
  
  
  
  
  
  ### E-text prepared by Eve Sobol, South Bend, Indiana, USA  
  
  
  and revised by Joseph E. Loewenstein, M.D.  
  
  
    
  
  
  HTML version prepared by Joseph E. Loewenstein, M.D.
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # WHAT MAISIE KNEW
  
  
  #### by
  
  
  ## Henry James
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  ### CONTENTS
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Introduction](0.html#id_0)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter I](0.html#id_1)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  