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Set during the Franco–Prussian war, Butterball is a sympathetic portrayal of a prostitute’s mistreatment at the hands of a cold–hearted bourgeoisie. It is published here with a selection of stories about prostitutes, making this a unique collection. Foreword by Germaine Greer.

When Butterball’s carriage is halted by Prussian soldiers, they demand her sexual services as ransom. Her fellow passengers—hitherto disdainful of her company—are suddenly more than happy to benefit from her “immoral” trade. But Butterball is a loyal French nationalist, and she refuses to sleep with the enemy. Through the warmth and generosity of his heroine, Maupassant exposes the hypocrisy of the French middle class. French writer Guy de Maupassant (1850–1893) is most famous for his short stories, which depict the humdrum fate of the middle and working classes.