Marie-Angélique and Marie-Eugénie are two sisters raised in a very strict household, who marry very different men: the former a cutthroat banker, the latter a man who has given his wife everything she needs save money, but who lacks any adventure in his spirit. In short, he’s boring. This leads Marie-Eugénie to make some bad decisions, and it will take quick thinking and bold action if she is to be saved from certain disaster.

Although one of Balzac’s shorter novels, A Daughter of Eve is full of the richly drawn characters that are his hallmark, and demonstrates less of the cynicism that is common in his Human Comedy .