Francis Steegmuller was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and was educated in the public schools of Greenwich, and at Columbia University. He was the author of many works about French culture and society, and translator of Gustave Flaubert's letters and the Modern Library edition of Madame Bovary. A Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, Steegmuller received many literary honors, including, in 1971, the National Book Award for his biography of Jean Cocteau. He divided his time between New York City and Naples. He was married to the novelist Shirley Hazzard. Steegmuller died in 1994.

Pre-revolutionary Paris comes to life in this fascinating story surrounding the correspondence between two colorful and witty society figures: the French author Louise d'Épinay and the Italian priest-diplomat Ferdinando Galiani. Their friends included Voltaire, Diderot, Melchior Grimm, and the famous women of the salons, and their letters touched upon everything from social gossip to issues of education and politics. Francis Steegmuller's book is at once a unique history and a charming account of friendship sustained in a turbulent age.