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graywacke 's review for:
The Return of Martin Guerre
by Natalie Zemon Davis
informative
medium-paced
A 16th century story of imposture. After Martin Guerre had left his Gascon town without a word for eight years, a man returns saying he is Martin. He is accepted by Martin's family, including Martin's wife, who has two children by him. Three years this Martin finds himself accused as an imposture by this same family, taking him to court. Remarkably he has the court convinced he is truly Martin, until the real, lost, Martin shows up in court after his 11 years absence. In an era when imprisonment was only of necessity, and not an available punishment, the imposture is executed; and the case makes history for complications in marriage, inheritance, identity, and in the nature of truth itself.