Letters of a Portuguese nun

by Myriam Cyr

In 1669, a Paris bookseller published a dainty volume called Portuguese Letters. It was small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, but its passionate story inspired poets and painters for hundreds of years. The identity of the writer has been the subject of much debate. Were they penned by the French man whose name appears on the original publication? Or were they the work of a 27-year-old Portuguese nun who had been loved and abandoned by a French soldier? Author Myriam Cyr decided to examine this literary mystery.