Episode 344: Hoes of History: Madame de La Fayette

Madame de La Fayette was one of the first women in history to publish a bestselling novel and forever change French literature. Born into nobility in 1634, Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne defied expectations of women in her era by wielding a sharp intellect and a quiet yet powerful pen. Her groundbreaking novel La Princesse de Clèves, published anonymously in 1678, is considered the first modern French novel and remains a cornerstone of literary study today. We trace her journey from the opulent salons of 17th-century Paris, where she mingled with the likes of La Rochefoucauld and Madame de Sévigné, to the quiet resilience she showed as a woman navigating politics, romance, and writing in a time when women were rarely seen—let alone heard. Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]