Eugénie de Guérin (1805–1848)

Eugénie de Guerin was born into a wealthy noble French family at the Château du Cayla, in the Tarn region, near Albi, where she spent nearly all her life. She was the older sister of Maurice de Guerin, the poet and philosopher. Eugénie, a devout Catholic, raised her brother after the death of their mother, intending him for the Church. She led a quiet, contemplative life described in her Journal, written over the period 1834 to 1840, and published posthumously. She also wrote a large number of elegant letters to her brother, which were later collected and published by a family friend. After Maurice's death in 1838, Eugénie dedicated herself to ensuring his fame and the publication of his writings.