Victor Hugo's masterwork chronicles the life of Jean Valjean, who spends nineteen years in the galleys for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. Released on a yellow ticket of leave that marks him as dangerous, Valjean finds every door closed against him until the Bishop of Digne treats him with unexpected dignity and mercy. This single act of grace shatters Valjean's bitterness and sets him on a lifelong quest for redemption, changing his name to Monsieur Madeleine and eventually becoming a wealthy factory owner and mayor. However, his past dogs his steps in the form of Inspector Javert, a relentless officer who believes once a criminal always a criminal.
The narrative expands to include the heartbreaking story of Fantine, a factory worker driven to ruin and prostitution to support her illegitimate daughter, Cosette. Valjean rescues Cosette from the cruel innkeepers, the Thénardiers, and raises her as his own child, hiding from Javert through years of flight and sanctuary in Parisian convents. Against the backdrop of the student uprisings of June eighteen thirty-two, the lives of Valjean, Cosette, and a young revolutionary named Marius intersect. The story builds toward a powerful moral resolution where Valjean saves Marius's life in the barricades and ultimately reveals his true identity, finding peace and forgiveness before his death.
