Colomba

by Prosper Mérimée

"Colomba" by Prosper Mérimée is a novella published in 1840. Set in Corsica, it tells the story of Orso della Rebbia, a French-educated officer who returns home where his sister Colomba demands he avenge their father's murder according to the island's ancient blood code. Torn between his modern values and family honor, Orso struggles against his sister's relentless pressure while falling in love with an Irish colonel's daughter. The story explores themes of vendetta and conflicting traditions.