La Mare au Diable

by George Sand

"La Mare au Diable" by George Sand is a novel published in 1846. This pastoral romance follows Germain, a twenty-eight-year-old widower, as he journeys to meet a potential new wife. Lost in the forest near the mysterious Devil's Pool, he spends the night with young Marie, a sixteen-year-old shepherdess who awakens unexpected feelings. Sand crafts an idealized yet authentic portrait of peasant life in Berry, elevating rural characters to literary dignity while exploring themes of love, social customs, and moral transformation.