Part of La Comédie Humaine
First published 2006
Baron Philippe de Sucy and his friend the Marquis d'Albon lose their way while hunting in the forests of Ile-de-France on a sweltering summer day in 1819. Through the trees of an overgrown estate, they spot a woman's figure. Philippe stares in shock at the young woman who can only repeat one word mechanically: "Farewell." He recognizes Countess Stéphanie de Vandières, the woman he loved with burning intensity before they were torn apart seven years earlier in 1812. The reunion Philippe might have dreamed of becomes a nightmare as he confronts what remains of his former mistress. Balzac explores the devastating aftermath of separation and the fragility of memory and identity when love collides with loss.
Genres: drama, classic-literature, french-literature, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, haunting, intimate, introspective, melancholic, tragic
Tropes: reunion, second-chance-romance, star-crossed-lovers
Setting: Île-de-France, France
Period: 1812, 1819, 19th century
52 pages · Paperback · Dodo Press
Content warnings: death, mental-illness