Ghillebaert (French, U. of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras) extracts the scenes of disguise such as identity substitution and cross-dressing from the narrative and analyzes their function within the process of constructing the identity of five characters from Sand's (1804-76) novels: Rose et Blanche, Indiana, Léla, Gabriel, and Consuelo. Disguising is a metaphor for an initiation rite of passage, she suggests, that allows the heroines to experience both feminine and masculine traits in their original and constructed identities. Having found a balance between the two, they can then proceed with their objectives. She considers the movement from disguise to double, sororal disguises, Gabriel as the spiritual androgyne, and androgyny and creativity. Quotations are in French. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)