Release date is 2024-02-16

Laurent Vogel (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica))

"L'été de Guillemette" by Henri Ardel is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around Guillemette Seyntis, a young and carefree girl from a wealthy family, exploring her life and relationships in the bustling atmosphere of Paris during the summer. With an intriguing mix of youthful innocence and emerging complexities, Guillemette navigates her interactions with family, societal expectations, and her own developing identity. At the start of the novel, Guillemette is introduced as she navigates a crowded department store carrying out errands for her mother. The oppressive July heat further amplifies the vibrant setting, filled with fashionable items and throngs of shoppers. Guillemette's character is well defined through her interactions, particularly with her cousin, Madame de Miolan, who has a complicated romantic history. Guillemette's internal thoughts reveal her youthful reflections on love, social status, and the contrasting lives around her, especially as she becomes aware of the struggles of others, like the hardworking Mademoiselle, who teaches her younger sister. As the narrative unfolds, the reader is drawn into Guillemette's world, filled with both lighthearted moments and deeper contemplations about her life and the complexities of adult relationships. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: Paris: Plon, 1908