The French House: An American Family, A Ruined Maison, and the Village That Restored Them All
by ballybeg
Off the coast of Brittany, on the tiny island of Belle Ile, in the tiny village of Kerbordardoue, was a tiny, ruined house. There was no bathroom, no running water, not even a sink, but plenty of dry rot and mold. New Yorkers Don and Mindy Wallace were enchanted. They had visited the island years before and were taken with its wildness and beauty, its very Frenchness, and its link to Breton agrarian tradition. In spite of its many drawbacks, it was the oldest house on the village green and the Wallaces could not resist the allure of living in the place they had loved years ago. They bought it.
There followed years of sketchy renovations, financial stresses and run-ins with antagonistic neighbors. The French House, in the tradition of many expats who have found home in the byways of European villages, is a memoir of the whole experience and a love-song to Belle Ile, its beaches and villages and the eccentric and lovable villagers, with whom they eventually cease to be at odds, many becoming dear friends.
Twenty-nine years later the house is still not completely finished. Oh my. But Don Wallace still conveys the deep attachment and contentment of finding home in such an unlikely place. Told with humor and heart, and meant to be savored slowly, The French House goes beyond being the history of a house and becomes a testament to living your dreams, overcoming all obstacles to follow your deepest longings, bonding with family, neighbors and place to create home.
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