'Germana' Summary

In the heart of Paris, 1853, Germana, a young woman of noble lineage, faces a grim reality: she is fading away, consumed by tuberculosis. This unfortunate circumstance provides the backdrop for an agreement – Germana must marry Count Don Diego, a man whose illegitimate son needs a name and a place in society. Germana's family, in return, will receive a substantial sum. Their journey takes them through Italy to Corfu, where they are joined by Madame Chermidy, the count's former lover and the mother of his child. Her love for Don Diego, however, remains undimmed, and she is too impatient to wait for Germana's natural demise. She devises a cunning plan, using every tool at her disposal to ensure Don Diego's love is solely hers. This tangled web of love, deceit, and desperation unfolds against a backdrop of breathtaking beauty and tragic circumstance, leaving the reader to ponder the destructive power of passion and the complexities of human desire.