As the title character, Daisy is central to the themes and popularity of the book.

Here Krantz has created an appealing mixture of fairy tale princess and ordinary American working girl. Daisy's beauty is undeniable, but she frequently hides her gorgeous hair and perfect figure beneath clothing suited to her demanding job: overalls, cap, baseball jacket and sneakers.

And yes, she was born to wealth and privilege, but by a series of events she finds herself not only without money but with the extreme financial pressures of supporting her hospitalized sister and later the beloved Anabel. So she struggles to make ends meet, a familiar battle for readers, but Krantz arranges the story so that she does so in the upper levels of American society: the wealthy horse set of Virginia and the elite of New York.

In her insecurities and fears, Daisy also combines fantasy and reality...