Bonjour et Bienvenue ---
There are a few things that have to be done immediately when you open the house. Please read ALL these points carefully.
First, however, apologies if the ocean was rough on the ferry ride over. We hope nobody got seasick. If somebody did, please check, and clean, the soles of their (not yours, I hope) shoes.
Description:
There are many books (e.g., Don't Stop the Carnival, A Year in Provence) that tell the dream and nightmare of people who discover a lovely destination, desire to live in said destination, purchase a run-down building, then suffer the pains of trying to make it into a livable home. All steps involve a lot of hair-pulling frustration, lackadaisical local builders, and angry words.
Well, here's a different version of that scenario. Don Wallace's The French House: An American Family, a Ruined Maison, and the Village That Restored Them All is full of
intelligence, wit, and humor, along with heart-felt respect for the locals and their tiny, historic town. The biggest problem Wallace faces is having the funds to even begin restoring a dilapidated house that, without major work in the first year, will be a heap of stones by the following summer.
Marshall and his wife, Mindy, both budding writers living in New York City, fall in love with the small French island of Belle Ile off the coast of Brittany. Through strict building restrictions, the architecture there has remained the same since the 1700s, untouched by tourist shops, fast food, and other amusements. Families have fished and farmed there for generations. Belle Ile even has deserted beaches with waves (and inconveniently cold water) that are a bonus for Hawaiian Mindy and surfer Don. What's not to love?
When an ancient house comes up for sale, Don and Mindy invest all of their tiny savings and future earnings to buy it. Sitting in the center of a tiny town, their "brand-new ruin" is an eyesore, but a piece of history that needs tender (i.e., specific and expensive) attention. Broken shudders, collapsed floors, horrendous roof, and a road that runs inches from their front door are shocking to these first-time owners, but they've signed the papers and the deed is done. Oh, and Mindy just discovered she is pregnant, another drain to their non-existent bank balance. They are naive, broke, and justifiably nervous about every decision.
And they learn that not just any rebuilding of the house will do. It must be a maison saine, one that makes sense in layout and utility. According to local custom, every house must make:
Yes, they discover neighbors with unusual backgrounds, characteristics, and motivations for the house as well. Gwened who lives next door is arbitrator of everything to make sure if conforms to the proper Briton way of doing things. Madame Morgane on their other side, when first seen out the window working in her fields, "looks like Death dressed as a Girl Scout." Then there's the unknown driver of the phantom silver Porsche who is rumored to fly down the roads at high speeds late at night. Sarah Bernhardt once owned an ancient fortress on the island and enjoyed an eccentric life of:
With jobs in New York City, the Wallaces are only able to visit their home for a month in summer, but what a wonderful month of belle temps Wallace describes. From surfing to walking to shopping in tiny fish stalls to cooking lovely local produce, parties, and of course writing and napping, the Wallace family and residents of Belle Ile live an envious life. Wallace and his family become part of this ancient organism, both absorbing and contributing to the Breton culture, bringing guacamole, surfing and baseball to the island for the first time.
Gradually the locals warm to les Americains. When the Wallaces returned to Belle Ile after an year's absence following the shock of 9/11 which occurred in their neighborhood, they were greeted at their door by their insurance man:
Well, here's a different version of that scenario. Don Wallace's The French House: An American Family, a Ruined Maison, and the Village That Restored Them All is full of
intelligence, wit, and humor, along with heart-felt respect for the locals and their tiny, historic town. The biggest problem Wallace faces is having the funds to even begin restoring a dilapidated house that, without major work in the first year, will be a heap of stones by the following summer.
Marshall and his wife, Mindy, both budding writers living in New York City, fall in love with the small French island of Belle Ile off the coast of Brittany. Through strict building restrictions, the architecture there has remained the same since the 1700s, untouched by tourist shops, fast food, and other amusements. Families have fished and farmed there for generations. Belle Ile even has deserted beaches with waves (and inconveniently cold water) that are a bonus for Hawaiian Mindy and surfer Don. What's not to love?
When an ancient house comes up for sale, Don and Mindy invest all of their tiny savings and future earnings to buy it. Sitting in the center of a tiny town, their "brand-new ruin" is an eyesore, but a piece of history that needs tender (i.e., specific and expensive) attention. Broken shudders, collapsed floors, horrendous roof, and a road that runs inches from their front door are shocking to these first-time owners, but they've signed the papers and the deed is done. Oh, and Mindy just discovered she is pregnant, another drain to their non-existent bank balance. They are naive, broke, and justifiably nervous about every decision.
And they learn that not just any rebuilding of the house will do. It must be a maison saine, one that makes sense in layout and utility. According to local custom, every house must make:
an orderly and attractive first impression, one not overcluttered or fussily decorated or unduly idiosyncratic....[It] had to look welcoming from the get-go -- to reflect its occupant's readiness to offer a seat, a cup of coffee, and a slice of buttery kouign amann to anyone who happened to stop by.More illusive, their new house also has to a "moral" house. It has to "put the character and beauty of the village and island above any and all personal claims and architectural pretensions." Without a saine and moral house, the Wallaces will never be accepted by locals as people with respect for the traditional culture of Bell Ile.
Yes, they discover neighbors with unusual backgrounds, characteristics, and motivations for the house as well. Gwened who lives next door is arbitrator of everything to make sure if conforms to the proper Briton way of doing things. Madame Morgane on their other side, when first seen out the window working in her fields, "looks like Death dressed as a Girl Scout." Then there's the unknown driver of the phantom silver Porsche who is rumored to fly down the roads at high speeds late at night. Sarah Bernhardt once owned an ancient fortress on the island and enjoyed an eccentric life of:
shooting seabirds while lying in bed taking her morning coffee and receiving the Prince of Wales for a farewell-to-all-that night of love while en route to his coronation as king.
M. Grancoeur stood in a coat and tie, cheeks freshly scraped, a profusion of Belle Il'e's glory in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.
"Please," he said, "accept the condolences of France."This quiet action shows sympa, the underlying code of behavior on Belle Ile depicted throughout this wonderful book. Sympa is "an all-purpose word used frequently on Belle Ile, it meant to display tact and generosity." Yes, there are ancient buildings, lovely seascapes, rolling hills, and farmlands. But it is sympa that makes Bell Ile and The French House so compelling and memorable. The book continually renews one's faith in quality of people who strive to preserve a culturally rich life as well as their own individuality in a changing world that threatens their way of life.
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Wouk, Herman. Don't Stop the Carnival
Delightfully funny novel of a New Yorker who decides to run away to a Caribbean island to start his life over as a hotel keeper. Unfortunately, everything about this plan and the hotel goes awry.
Mayle, Peter. A Year in Provence
The classic tale of the transformation of a ruined property and its owner.Referred to by Wallace's parents in The French House as the exemplary way to restore a French property and live a quality life (something they are shocked to see Wallace has not done).
