Pepita Jiménez

by Juan Valera

"Pepita Jiménez" by Juan Valera is a novel published in 1874. A young seminarian returns to his Andalusian village for vacation before taking his vows, only to meet Pepita Jiménez, a twenty-year-old widow his father intends to marry. Through pastoral walks and intimate conversations, the devout young man feels his religious calling waver as an unexpected passion awakens. This psychological novel explores the conflict between spiritual devotion and natural desire, questioning whether love represents sin or life's truest calling.