In which the tender bonds of friendship and youthful ambition are delicately portrayed against the contrasting backdrop of Angoulême’s divided society, where old nobility and new wealth remain estranged by ancient pride and provincial custom. We are drawn into the intricate character of Mme. de Bargeton, a woman of splendid intellect and thwarted aspirations, whose exquisite sensibilities and passionate enthusiasms set a poignant tone beneath the weight of narrow social confines and fading hopes.