The Princess De Montpensier

by Madame de (Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne) La Fayette

"The Princess De Montpensier" by Madame de La Fayette is a short novel published in 1662. Set during France's Wars of Religion, it tells the story of a young noblewoman married without love and caught between duty and desire. Surrounded by four men who want her—including her husband, his trusted friend, her former suitor, and a royal duke—she faces impossible choices in a society where reputation means everything. This pioneering work is considered one of the first modern French novels and a masterpiece of historical fiction.