Carmen - Prosper Merimee

On a trip to Spain in 1830, our narrator recounts his encounters with two strange characters: a thief named Don José Navarro and a beautiful Romani woman named Carmen...little does he know that soon, these two will be entangled in a tumultuous love affair that spells out tragedy for both parties. This novella, written and first published in 1845, has been adapted into a number of dramatic works, including the famous opera by Georges Bizet. - Summary by Mary Kay and Wikipedia