Reading and beauty tips for holidays in Brittany

You’re on vacation in Brittany and want to fully immerse yourself in the experience? There’s nothing like some Breton-themed reading to get you completely in the mood!

If The Famous Five were part of your childhood reading, and you dream of returning to the magical landscapes of Villa des Mouettes and Kernach Island, we have two must-read authors to recommend: the American Anthony Doerr and the French writer J. M. G. Le Clézio.

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

All the Light We Cannot See

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

Visiting Saint-Malo? Anthony Doerr’s novel will become your perfect guide! Book in hand, follow in Marie-Laure’s footsteps: walk along the city walls, step inside Saint-Vincent Cathedral, and stroll along Saint-Malo’s seafront with your feet in the water. The town’s tourist office has even published an itinerary so you can retrace the heroine’s exact route.

Steeped in history and brought to life by deeply moving characters, this novel is utterly captivating. Impossible not to mention it if you’re spending time in Saint-Malo this summer!

Breton Song

During lockdown, J. M. G. Le Clézio chose to return to the paths of his childhood in Brittany. Best known for his short story collections, the author turns here to a genre familiar to children: the tale. In Breton Song, followed by The Child and the War, we are gently carried into the pastoral world of the small port of Sainte Marine in Finistère, where he grew up.

This short autobiographical work immerses us in an authentic Brittany. Le Clézio blends dialogue in Breton dialect with lyrical descriptions of wheat fields meeting the ocean. Through the music of his prose, he makes us hear the songs of his childhood, sung by his companions — the sons of fishermen from Sainte Marine. Listen closely, and you might even catch the distant echo of a fest-noz.

Fiction or autobiography, historical novel or fairy tale — to each their own! But whether you find yourself in Saint-Malo or Sainte Marine, these two books are sure to take you on a memorable journey through Brittany.

Discover the history of Brittany’s towns and villages, immerse yourself in its traditions and even pick up a few words of Breton! Sometimes, a good book is more useful than a tourist guide ;)