Born in New York City in 1843, Henry James lived in Europe while he was growing up. In 1860, he returned to America and attended Harvard University Law School. In 1869, he returned to England permanently.

Because he had lived in both Europe and the United States, Henry James began to write what have been called international novels. In these stories, the main characters often live outside their native lands.

James died in 1916 at the age of seventy-three. Although he died in England, he is considered an American novelist, and he ranks among the best writers of the nineteenth century.