Women in the Life of Balzac

"Women in the Life of Balzac" by Juanita Helm Floyd is a story about the important women in the famous French novelist Honoré de Balzac's world, and how they shaped the person he became and the stories he wrote. The story starts with Balzac as a young boy, looking at his family and how life with them was. He had a hard relationship with his mother, who both helped him and made things difficult. Living in Tours, France, Balzac wanted to be a writer, but his family wanted him to have a more practical job. The book then shows how women like Madame de Berny helped him start his writing career. This beginning part of the book shows how Balzac's life and work were deeply connected to the women around him, hinting at a life full of complicated feelings and ideas.