The Marquis de Sade, infamous for his obscene writing and sexual cruelty, was incongruously married to a pious wife. A wife who, despite his peccadilloes, loved him devotedly for thirty years, through betrayal, imprisonment, and national turmoil.Bearing his children, editing his manuscripts, visiting him in prison, Renée-Pélagie de Montreuil endured her chaotic marriage with grace, achieving independence in an era when women were entitled to none. Their complex relationship, set against the French Revolution and its aftermath, is brought to life with humour and compassion by Margaret Crosland, the translator of Sade's Gothic Tales.



Margaret Crosland (1920-2017), born in Shropshire, translated works by the Marquis de Sade, Émile Zola, Colette, Simone de Beauvoir and Cesare Pavese, among others, as well as writing many biographies and works of literary criticism. She was a leading authority on the life and work of the Marquis de Sade. Her prolific writings and translations were sometimes published under the pen name Leonard de Saint-Yves.