Lady Barbarina

In the world of late Victorian literature, wealthy American girls journeying to England to secure noble titles through marriage were a familiar trope. Edith Wharton dubbed them The Buccaneers, and their legacy endures (just think of the Earl of Grantham and his American heiress countess in Downton Abbey). However, in Lady Barbarina, Henry James presents a refreshing twist on this narrative what if the fortune belongs to an American man who is enchanted by the beautiful daughter of an old, titled family that has seen better days? In England, legal marital settlements—akin to todays pre-nuptial agreements—introduce a layer of cautious prudence to what could otherwise be a story of pure romance. Despite their shared language and culture, Britain and America remain separated by three thousand miles of ocean, adding complexity to their love story. - Summary by Nicholas Clifford