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What Maisie Knew is a novel by Henry James. It was originally published in serial form in American literary magazine The Chap-Book in 1897, and re-released as a revised, abridged novel later that year. The book describes events in the life of Maisie Farange, the child of divorced, frivolous parents, over the course of several years in shared custody. What Maisie Knew represents a harsh condemnation by James of irresponsible parenting and the society which encouragedit; like many of his novels, its protagonist is a young woman struggling to cope with the oppressive moral failings of the people closest to her. The book was published at a time when James, already an established literary figure, was experimenting with both narrative style and the physical process of writing; What Maisie Knew was partially dictated by James to a typist rather than being handwritten. The book was largely praised by critics and is considered a notable work in James' canon. A film adaptation, updated with a modern-day setting, was released in 2012.
