A novel about Renée Néré, a woman in her thirties who has left an unhappy marriage and now earns her living in the Parisian music halls. She prizes her independence and the plain pleasures of work and solitude. When a persistent, devoted admirer offers her love and security, she must decide whether to trust him or to keep her freedom. Drawing on Colette's own years on the stage, the book gives a vivid picture of backstage life and a candid view of a woman's choices between love and self-reliance.