The Wings of the Dove

Set amid the splendor of London drawing rooms and gilded Venetian palazzos,The Wings of the Doveis the story of Milly Theale, a naive, doomed American heiress, and a pair of lovers, Kate Croy and Merton Densher, who conspire to obtain her fortune. In this witty tragedy of treachery, self-deception, and betrayal, Henry James weaves together three ill-fated and wholly human destinies unexpectedly linked by desire, greed, and salvation. As Amy Bloom writes in her Introduction, "The Wings of the Doveis a novel of intimacy. . . . [James] gives us passion, he gives us love in its terrible and enchanting forms."

<b>Amy Bloom</b> is the author of two collections of short stories, including <i>A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You</i>; a novel, <i>Love Invents Us</i>; and a nonfiction book, <i>Normal</i>. Her work has appeared in various publications and is widely anthologized. She lives in Connecticut and teaches at Yale.