Letters of Two Brides

A charming epistolary novel about two women growing up and falling in love. Balzac contrasts Renee who choses an arranged marriage with an older man and her domestic life with her children, and Louise who falls passionately and jealously in love. The novel gives a good insight into the motivations of the two women and into their private and public lives, although I would describe them as both being rather stubborn in their opinions and Renee in particular can be quite judgemental towards Louise. Once I got into this, I found it hard to put down.