The central character in Princess Daisy, Marguerite Alexandrovna Valensky, lives what is in many ways a fantasy life, having noble blood inherited from her Russian father, beauty from her movie star mother, and wealth, contacts, and glamorous places to call home. But at the same time, Krantz has built into her life story a series of problems and questions about universal concerns. What is the true nature of love, and how can it be distinguished from infatuation, lust, sexual politics? How can a woman succeed in a competitive and ruthless world (in this case the production of television commercials and advertising cosmetics) while retaining her generosity, loyalty and ability to love deeply? And most importantly, how does one achieve and maintain a firm sense of self in a world of pretense, manipulation and public image?

Not only does Princess Daisy offer fascinating background information about life...