Reading and beauty tips for holidays in Brittany

If Le Club des Cinq was part of your childhood reading list, and you're dreaming of returning to the magical landscapes of Villa des Mouettes and Kernach Island, we'd like to suggest two readings by essential authors: the American Anthony Doerr and the Frenchman JMG Le Clézio.

The 2 books to pack (along with your Algologie creams, of course!):

1. All the light we cannot see

Anthony Doerr's novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 2015. Set during the Second World War, the story follows Marie-Laure, a young blind woman, as she gropes her way through the fortified town of Saint-Malo, where she has taken refuge.

Visiting Saint-Malo? Anthony Doerr's book will become your map for exploring the town! With the book in hand, follow in Marie-Laure's footsteps: cross the city walls, enter Saint-Vincent's cathedral and stroll along Saint-Malo's seafront with your feet in the water. The town's tourist office has even put an itinerary online so you can follow the heroine's exact route.

This book, steeped in history and populated by touching characters, is utterly spellbinding. Impossible not to refer to it if you're in Saint-Malo for a while this summer!

2. Breton song

In the midst of his confinement, JMG Le Clézio decided to return to the paths of his childhood in Brittany. Known for his collections of short stories, this time JMG Le Clézio is borrowing from a genre well known to children: the tale. With Chanson bretonne, followed by L'Enfant et la Guerre, we are lulled into the pastoral world of the small port of Sainte Marine in Finistère, where the author grew up.

This short autobiography plunges us into an authentic Brittany. JMG Le Clézio combines dialogue in Breton dialect with enchanting descriptions of wheat fields beside the ocean. Through the power of his words, he succeeds in making audible to us the song of his childhood sung by his comrades, the sons of fishermen in Sainte Marine. Concentrate on the sounds, and you might just catch a whiff of fest-noz!

Fiction or autobiography, historical novel or tale... To each his own! But whether you're in Saint-Malo or Sainte Marine, you can be sure that these two books will take you on a wonderful trip to Brittany.

Find out more about the history of Brittany's towns and villages, immerse yourself in its traditions and learn a few words of Breton dialect! Sometimes, a good read is more useful than a tourist guide ;)