First published 1971
Boule de Suif finds herself trapped in a carriage with respectable travelers fleeing the Franco-Prussian War. The plump prostitute generously shares her food with the hungry passengers, who initially scorn her profession but quickly accept her kindness. When Prussian officers detain their group, demanding that Boule de Suif spend the night with their commander, her fellow travelers pressure her to sacrifice herself for their freedom. This opening tale anchors a collection that moves between Norman countryside and urban settings, following peasants driven by greed, friends caught in war's grip, and ordinary people navigating moral compromises. Characters pursue money through cunning schemes, endure false accusations over trivial objects, and face the gap between public virtue and private vice. Some stories turn toward gentle humor as deals go awry and unlikely figures claim glory. Others reveal quiet tragedy when loyalty meets impossible circumstances. Each tale strips away social pretenses to expose the raw calculations underneath.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, moral-dilemma
Setting: Norman Countryside, Urban Settings
Period: Franco-Prussian War
368 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books
Content warnings: war