Henry James at Work

In the summer of 1907 a young woman in Whitehall finds herself thrust into the orbit of one of literature’s most enigmatic figures. When Henry James arrives in London seeking an amanuensis, she seizes the chance, impresses him with rapid typing, and is invited to join him at his modest home in Rye. The opening pages capture that first bewildering interview, describing James’s surprising physical presence—a sea‑captain‑like silhouette softened by the Italian sun—and the mixture of authority and curiosity that surrounds him.

From that point the narrative follows her as she settles into the green‑painted workroom of Lamb House, observing daily routines, his thoughts on the dullness of country life, and the ways his personality seeps into the pages he dictates. The memoir offers an intimate glimpse of James not as a distant literary icon but as a man negotiating ordinary demands of work, hospitality, and his own self‑image. Listeners will feel as if they are sitting across from him, hearing his deliberate speech and watching the quiet drama of his world unfold.