''Mitsou'' is the name of a French war-time

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

that was published by

Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...

in 1919. It was later made into a 1956 film '' Mitsou''. The eponymous protagonist, a 24-year-old star in a show at the

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1917, hides briefly two lieutenants in her garderobe to help her friend Petite Chose. One of the men is the educated "blue lieutenant". He writes to her the next day thanking her, and Mitsou's surprisingly eloquent response results in an exchange of letters which express their blossoming attraction and love. Eventually, the lieutenant returns for a brief and singular visit. An apparently final exchange of letters seems to conclude the affair, although Mitsou does not give up hope for a future of the relationship. The well-received novella contains a play-like dialogue between Mitsou and the people around her as well as the letter exchange. The main characters are based on her second husband's brother, Robert de Jouvenel, and his mistress, Zou, but may also reflect a young Colette in her early relationship with her future first husband Henry Gauthier-Villars.

Movie

The 1956 French film ''Mitsou'' is based on Colette's story.

Danièle Delorme Gabrielle Danièle Marguerite Andrée Girard (9 October 1926 – 17 October 2015), known by her stage name Danièle Delorme, was a French actress and film producer, famous for her roles in films directed by Marc Allégret, Julien Duvivier or Y ...

played the main character.

References

1919 French novels Novels by Colette Novels set in Paris Fiction set in 1917 French novellas French novels adapted into films {{1910s-war-novel-stub