The Portrait of a Lady is the story of a spirited young American woman, Isabel Archer, who, "affronting her destiny," finds it overwhelming.

She inherits a large amount of money and subsequently becomes the victim of Machiavellian scheming by two American expatriates.

The novel's protagonist, the Lady of the title. Isabel is a young woman from Albany, New York, who travels to Europe with her aunt, Mrs. Touchett. The Portrait of a Lady is the story of Isabel's mind and how it shapes her destiny and her character.

For this and other masterful tales of human psychology, James is considered the father of psychological realism.