This article argues that Graffigny's "Lettres d'une Péruvienne" and "Cénie" tell essentially the same story, that of a woman sundered from her high estate and her betrothed. The pattern of interpersonal relations is present already in Graffigny's "Nouvelle espagnole" and "La Princesse Azerolle". Graffigny's correspondence shows that this is a mythical version of her own story. Crises in 1743–44 involving her lover, her confidant, and her niece immediately precede the creation of her principal works. Her discovery in 1743 of Garcilaso's "Histoire des Incas" is associated with ‘amitié’ and with ‘amour’
