George Sand was a French novelist and memoirist. In addition, Sand authored literary criticism and political texts. She wrote many essays and published works establishing her socialist position. Because of her early life, she sided with the poor and working class. When the 1848 Revolution began, women had no rights and Sand believed these were necessary for progress. Around this time Sand started her own newspaper which was published in a workers' co-operative. This allowed her to publish more political essays. She wrote "I cannot believe in any republic that starts a revolution by killing its own proletariat." Her most widely used quote is "There is only one kind of happiness in life, to love and be loved." She was known well in far reaches of the world, and her social practices, her writings and her beliefs prompted much commentary, often by other luminaries in the world of arts and letters.

《魔沼》是乔治·桑著名的田园小说的代表作，写的是青年农民热尔曼不幸丧偶，带着三个孩子度日。岳父好意为他介绍邻村的有钱寡妇为妻，于是热尔曼携幼子小皮埃尔前去求亲，并与邻家贫穷的牧羊女同路，途中在当地人称为"魔沼"的塘边露宿，这一对青年男女相互关照，增进了解，产生感情，最后冲破年龄与贫富差距，结为夫妇。小说中农村的宁谧、神秘而独特的景色，为男女主人公的爱情经历增添了浓郁的浪漫色彩。乔治·桑无疑地将男女青年农民的爱情和农村景色理想化了。作者笔下的理想世界和理想人物，是作为资本主义社会的丑恶现象的对立面出现的，尽管缺乏深刻性，可是却具有正面理想的价值。