First published 1558
Floods trap ten French nobles in a remote Pyrenees abbey during the early 1500s. Five men and five women face days of waiting while workers repair the damaged bridge that blocks their escape. To pass time with dignity, they decide to follow Boccaccio's example and share stories each day. But their cultured entertainment quickly transforms into combat. The men and women craft tales designed to wound each other, spinning stories of corrupt priests, unfaithful husbands, and lying wives. Cynical Saffredent attacks women's virtue while young idealist Dagoucin defends romantic love. The moderate Parlamente tries to find middle ground between the warring sides. Each story becomes ammunition in their battle, revealing the deep tensions between men and women in sixteenth century French society. What begins as refined storytelling becomes a revealing glimpse into the hearts and minds of the nobility.
Genres: short-stories, romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: battle-of-the-sexes, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Pyrenees, France
Period: Early 1500s
544 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics