Honore de Balzac 
Juana 

An Italian and Spanish love triangle with Napoleon’s army on the march as the backdrop, ‘Juana’ is an all-action story about two morally corrupt Italian soldiers in the French army in Spain.They lurk at the rear of the army and descend upon the women and the wealth of defeated towns. As they enter Tarragona, Montefiore spots the lovely Juana and sets about seducing her by inveigling himself with her family.They fall for each other, but Montefiore gets caught in a lie and Juana ends their affair. Then, in a fit of pique, she marries his friend, the other Italian soldier, Diard.It is a decision that sparks a pulsating plot featuring cruelty, a disintegrating marriage, gambling, murder, deception, and a dishonest doctor. ‘Juana’ is ideal for those who enjoy Bernard Cornwell’s ‘Sharpe’ stories, which were made into a TV series, starring Sean Bean.-