Marjorie Price (1)

This is a compelling memoir, of the author's ten years living in France, first in Paris and then in a tiny village. She is an artist who married an artist and this is more interesting than the typical "how I refurbished a stone cottage" story of life in a remote village. Her struggles to paint when her husband forbade her and her deep friendship with an older lady, Jeanne, are at the heart of this story.
There are 4 themes: her marriage, at times passionate and troubled. Moving to the village. Her closeness with Jeanne. The heartbreak of endings: her marriage, moving from the village, leaving Jeanne behind, moving to Italy and later to the USA. A question arose for me, is the name she uses in this memoir for her husband his actual name? I looked him up on the internet and there is no trace of him. She wrote about him making him sound like his paintings are brilliant.… (més)

Marjorie (Midge) Price always dreamed of painting in Paris. In 1960 she did something that no twenty-eight year old woman should do: she bought a transatlantic ticket to Paris, alone. Her family was up in arms, no respectful young lady travels alone, let alone across the Atlantic, but Midge was a dedicated artist and living in Paris was her dream.

Shortly after she arrived, she met a native artist, Yves. They fall in love and marry after a mere six months. They have a daughter, and soon dream of owning a cottage in the country to get away from the hustle and bustle of Paris life. Yves soon announces that he has found the perfect place. It’s not just one cottage, but an entire hamlet. Yves insists that Midge see this place for herself. When she arrives, she sees a hamlet in ruins, requiring major repair. But Yves insists on purchasing, ignoring her concerns.

The restoration required is tremendous. They are forced to live in another small home until the work is complete. It’s definitely not the city life that Midge was used to.

Midge soon meets their neighbors, and instantly forms a bond with Jeanne, a peasant woman nearing her seventies. Jeanne takes her under her wing and begins to treat her as the daughter she never had. When Ives’ personality begins to change, turning into a raging, abusive husband, Jeanne becomes her support system and helps her survive this turmoil in her life. Slowly, the city-girl side of Midge soon evaporates and she is transformed into a genuine “country” girl.

A Gift from Brittany is a beautiful, yet sometimes heartbreaking, coming-of-age story. Midge’s transformation takes place alongside the transformation of the hamlet, both are tremendous. It is also a story of friendship, one that transforms culture and generations. Two women who at first glance having nothing in common form a bond that cannot be broken. Price’s writing itself is a form of artwork, it’s beauty and detailed descriptions paint a portrait of a woman’s life before your eyes. I became completely wrapped up in the book within the first several pages. It is a profound piece of writing that will stay with you for some time.… (més)

In 1960 twenty-eight year old Marjorie Price did a daring and brave thing. She bought a ticket on a transatlantic ship to Paris, third class. Alone. Her family and friends (who call her Midge) are shocked and dismayed. Young ladies just don't DO that in 1960. But Midge is determined. She is an artist, a painter, and Paris is where artists are nurtured, taught, inspired.

Of course, she meets a man. Fellow artist, and native Frenchman, Yves sweeps Midge off her feet and they are soon married. They are very happy together and have a beautiful daughter, Danielle. After a couple of years they begin looking for a summer place. A little cottage in the country by the sea where they can escape the bustle of Paris and paint in peace.

Yves finds a place he says is perfect. An ancient farm house and other buildings that make up half of a tiny hamlet in Brittany. Spartan and without any modern conveniences, it is far from what Midge had in mind. But he is insistent and she is forced into the purchase of La Salle.

At first living conditions are rough but the place works its charm and they begin to fix it up. Midge meets her neighbors, among them Jeanne, a peasant woman nearing seventy who lives in a cottage with no running water or plumbing, has never ridden in a car, eaten in a restaurant, watched television, talked on the telephone, or even been farther than a few miles from her home.

Over the next few years, Yves' personality begins to change radically. As her marriage disintegrates, Jeanne becomes the closest friend that Midge has ever known, they form a bond of friendship that transcends their differences in culture, age or language.

I loved this book. It is a wonderful, loving tribute to a special woman who was the product of a dying way of life. Even during the years she lived at La Salle, Midge saw beautiful old stone farms being bulldozed to make room for pre-fab houses. The peasant life the Jeanne endured is completely gone now. While the country life may seem like an idyll, the author makes clear that Jeanne's life was one filled with back breaking labor and a paucity of sentiment.

This is a story that is at once heartwarming and heartbreaking. Here is a peek at a European way of life that endured for centuries and then completely died out in a few decades. It is one of the best memoirs that I have ever read and I highly recommend it. It would be an excellent choice for book clubs.… (més)