4 h 16 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the road to a sensible marriage leads into a foggy forest—and toward a different kind of love?
Germain works hard, cares for his three children and still grieves for his wife. His father-in-law, Père Maurice, urges him to marry again. In George Sand’s The Devil’s Pool, a journey to meet a possible bride puts family duty beside a quieter question: what does Germain himself want?
Marie, a poor young girl travelling to work as a shepherdess, joins him on the road. So does his affectionate son, Petit-Pierre. As daylight fades and fog gathers in the forest, their journey becomes a tender story of companionship. Around them, Sand brings the fields, customs and old beliefs of Berry into view.
What you’ll discover
- A father’s divided heart Follow Germain as he weighs his children’s needs against grief and the pressure to remarry.
- Kindness on the road Meet Marie, whose good nature accompanies her hope of helping her struggling family.
- A forest in fog Enter the gathering darkness with three travellers whose simple journey takes an uncertain turn.
- Life close to the fields Discover Berry through its farm work, local customs, songs, sayings and old beliefs.
- What makes a marriage Consider whether land and practical sense are enough to build a life together.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who like gentle, character-driven stories, country settings and the French nineteenth century. It also rewards anyone curious about Sand herself. If you want fast plots or strong suspense, its calm pace may feel slow.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Sand begins with a ploughman
- A young widower is told to remarry
- A girl and a child join the road
- Lost in the fog at the Devil's Pool
- What the story says about love and duty
- How Sand tells a country story
Who’s who
- GermainA hardworking young farmer and widower, father of three, who wants to do right by his children and his late wife.
- MarieA poor, kind sixteen-year-old girl travelling to work as a shepherdess, who hopes to help her struggling family.
- Petit-PierreGermain's young son, about seven, shy and affectionate, who insists on going with his father on the journey.
- Père MauriceGermain's wise old father-in-law, who loves him like a son and urges him to marry again.
- The widowA woman of some property in a distant village, proposed as Germain's new wife by his family.
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- 15-minute summary
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- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
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La Mare au Diable
by George Sand· 1846
A widowed farmer's journey unsettles his plans for marriage.
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Language: Français
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
Sand begins with a ploughman
The book opens not with the plot but with Sand herself, looking at an engraving by Hans Holbein. It shows a poor ploughman at work while Death walks beside him and urges on his horses. Sand finds the picture sad and a little cruel. The farmer's labour is hard, and the only comfort the picture offers is the grave.
Then she looks out at a real field in Berry. A man is ploughing there with a team of oxen, and the scene feels very different to her. The land is rich, the autumn light is soft, and the man works with strength and care. She sees dignity in his labour, and some happiness too, since his work is tied to a place he knows and loves.
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The author
George Sand
1804–1876 · French novelist and memoirist
George Sand was the pen name of Aurore Dupin, a French novelist and memoirist. She was born in Paris in 1804 and died at Nohant in 1876. She lived in Paris and Nohant. Her novels include Indiana (1832), Mauprat (1837), The Devil’s Pool (1846), and Little Fadette (1849).
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What is The Devil's Pool about?
It tells of Germain, a widowed farmer in rural France, who rides to meet a possible new wife with his small son and a young shepherdess. They get lost in a forest at night, and the journey changes his life.
Is The Devil's Pool a true story?
No, it is fiction. George Sand published it in 1846, but it is based on the real countryside of Berry, where she lived, and on the farm work and customs she saw there, including a scene she describes in the preface.
What is the Devil's Pool in the book?
It is a dark, still pond in a forest clearing, said by local people to be dangerous and haunted. The travellers come upon it when they lose their way, and the night they spend nearby is the book's central scene.
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