Gustave Flaubert 
A Simple Soul 

A Simple Heart, also published as A Simple Soul. 

In A Simple Heart, the poignant story that inspired Julian Barnes’s Flaubert’s Parrot, Felicite, a French housemaid, approaches a lifetime of servitude with human-scaled but angelic aplomb. No other author has imparted so much beauty and integrity to so modest an existence. Flaubert’s ‘great saint’ endures loss after loss by embracing the rich, true rhythms of life: the comfort of domesticity, the solace of the Church, and the depth of memory. This novella showcases Flaubert’s perfectly honed realism: a delicate counterpoint of daily events with their psychological repercussions. 

Set in 19th century France, this is a simple, yet beautiful story of loyal and persistent Felicite. She is jilted by her boyfriend as a young girl, then runs away to become maid and caregiver for a widow and her two children. She also worries after her nephew and later in life cares for her adored pet parrot, Lou Lou. She spends the rest of her life in service, unloved, unappreciated, suffering tragedy and heartbreak. Just a beautifully written story with a very remarkable character.