First published 1984
Simone de Beauvoir's first fiction weaves five intimate stories of women seeking purpose beyond the physical. Marcelle escapes her abusive artist husband, only to become trapped in dogma. Chantal, a teacher, withdraws into idealization as her students suffer. Lisa struggles to reconcile her spiritual and bodily selves. Anne's journey mirrors the author's own friend's tragic fate. In the final tale, Marguerite faces life's harsh realities head-on. Through these vignettes, Beauvoir illuminates the complex dance between the spiritual and the physical that defines the female experience.
Genres: fiction, drama, literary-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, introspective, slice-of-life
Setting: France
220 pages · Paperback · Pantheon
Content warnings: abuse, emotional-abuse, physical-abuse