Blanche: The Maid of Lille

"Blanche: The Maid of Lille" by Ossip Schubin is a story that looks at the lives of people living in the time of King Francis I of France. The book shows the difficult challenges of love and what people must give up because of what society expects of them. The main person in the story is Blanche, a young woman who doesn't have parents. Gottfried de Montalme, a fighter who came back from war, takes care of her. As Blanche grows, Henri de Lancy, a likable but unreliable knight, falls in love with her. Their secret love has problems because they don't trust each other. In a sad turn of events, Blanche's strong desires cause her to die. Gottfried is left to deal with the pain of losing her, thinking about how love and luck can be very unfair. It's a reminder of the sacrifices we make for love and how tragedy is always part of a world that isn't perfect.