France / L'ile aux Moines
Shop Talk

Francoise Sylvestre is more than a shop owner on the tiny island of L'ile aux Moines. She's an accomplished author. Writing fiction & non-fiction books about her island travels.

The shop, L'ame Vagabonde, is the most stylish commercial establishment on the island. But then, there are hardly any commercial establishments located here. The real style is found in the resident herself. Francoise is a story waiting to be told. Or so we found out by meeting her.

Her book, "Belle Ile en Mer," captures the time she spent on Belle Ile as owner of her first bookstore. The book is a labor of love. A journey from one end of Belle Ile to the other. In her words & Michel Frey's photographs.

But Francoise wanted something more. A place to call home. With enough space for writing. Along with a shop to sell art & books. She found her way to L'ile aux Moines, where she bought & renovated an old building.

Upstairs is the writer's private domain. Currently, she is working on a book about L'ile aux Moines. Again in collaboration with photographer Michel Frey. Downstairs is the shop. A marine-style, wood paneled space. A librairie maritime & galerie d'art. Francoise has chosen books that represent her feelings for the French islands. With themes about the sea, boating, nature & home dÈcor of the area. And of course, her own books are available, too.

Discovering Francoise is like discovering the French Atlantic islands themselves: She & these jewels of the Atlantic have a serene beauty about them. But underneath it all, they're very hardy. They possess a strong character that inspires all those who discover them.

Francoise's books are in French. "Belle Ile en Mer" is available through her bookstore, L'ame Vagabonde. E-mail: amevagabonde@wanadoo.fr Her book "Leone," (historical fiction) is about a woman on the island of Kerguelen. Available through Amazon's French division.