This novella takes the reader from the height of joy to the depth of sorrow in under an hour. Based on around a real event (Toulouse, France, in June of 1875), this tells the story of a flood that wipes out a farm and a future in the hours of darkness in one night.

First published in 1880 and freely available, this is worth the hour or less it will take to read. A leading thinker and public figure, Émile Zola wrote many articles, essays and a few novels, and is perhaps best known for "J'accuse...!", which publicized the Dreyfus Affair and divided France.