Sainte-Marie-des-Fleurs: Roman

by René Boylesve

"Sainte-Marie-des-Fleurs: Roman" by René Boylesve is a novel published in 1897. André meets Marie in Venice and falls instantly in love, but she is already engaged through family arrangement. Back in Paris, they confess their feelings, yet André loves the dream of Marie more than the woman herself. Social barriers and conflicting emotions create an impossible romance. A duel, an attempted suicide, and Marie's marriage to another man force them toward a painful final decision about their future.