The bizarre story of Martin Guerre—a peasant who disappears from a small village in sixteenth-century France and whose place is taken by an imposter—has captivated historians for centuries. Natalie Zemon Davies, a historian with a special interest in gender studies, focuses on the role of Martin's wife, Bertrande, arguing that she plays a key role in the deceit and readily goes along with it. The book helped spur a shift in the way historians viewed past events generally, and the role of women in a period where documentary evidence was lacking. Davis daringly used her imagination to reinterpret the story, unrepentantly mixing literary techniques with historical research.