The titular character is named Bertrande, and her husband, Martin Guerre, has been away traveling for a long time. When a man claiming to be her own husband appears at the door, Bertrande finds herself in a terrifying predicament: she doesn't really remember her husband's face enough to know whether the man claiming to be her husband is really him, or some imposter with malicious intents.
To make matters worse, Bertrande's real husband is kind of a jerk, and he often treats her strictly and unlovingly. The second husband, no doubt in an attempt to be 'husband' enough for Bertrande, treats her far better. Then, as was bound to happen, Bertrande's husband, Martin, comes back, making Bertrande aware that the man she has been with is an imposter after all.
In an attempt to be ethical, Bertrande admits the truth to the real Martin, even though it will mean misery for her. And indeed, her admission alone is not enough to win back the affections of the notably stoic and mean man, Martin Guerre. The novel exists as a warrant for a case that Janet Lewis, an American author, was hoping to make about the dangers of circumstantial evidence, and it is often cited for its brilliant depiction of self-denial and subjective reality.
