Josephine Cortes

Josephine is the novel's protagonist. She is an historian specializing in twelfth-century women at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris, a part-time job that is paying the bills since her husband has been out of work for over a year. She is resolved to remain strong once she kicks her cheating husband out of the home, and is determined to raise her two daughters on her own, without assistance from her well-off mother. Despite her strong will, she lacks confidence in herself at times, feeling dowdy and fearful that she will spend her life alone. Since she speaks four languages, her brother-in-law, Philippe, provides her with additional work translating legal documents. She also is given a job translating a book from English for a publisher. Her work is thorough and she makes very good money working for him, enabling her to pay her bills and...