"La Cousine ___" (Balzac novel)

BETTE

["This Balzac novel shares its name with a common French female first name."]

This clue refers to the title of a novel by French author Honoré de Balzac, "La Cousine Bette." The answer is simply the missing name, "Bette," which completes the title. If you're familiar with classic French literature, you might recognize this work, but even if not, the clue directly hints at the answer by providing part of the title. The straightforward nature of the clue means no wordplay is involved—just fill in the blank.