Just as the art of the table became a centrepiece of French mores, Balzac used it as a connecting thread in his novels, showing how food can evoke character, atmosphere, class, and social climbing. This title describes the ways food and the art of the table feature in Honore de Balzac's writings.
The narrator of this debut novel blunders through life until the arrival of Santiago, a male presence who appears in her mind at the age of fourteen. Thanks to Santiago, the naive innocence that has led her into trouble is gone, replaced by a street-smart wisdom that makes her attractive and successful. ...