Wendy Mewes writing about Brittany
PLOUBRANNEC
The village has a population of 994 people, although second-home owners swell the numbers from time to time. In addition to Bretons and French inhabitants there are British, Irish, Dutch and Syrian residents.
The main street contains the mairie, a bar and bakery/shop and a little restaurant run by an English couple. Set back from this is the church of Saint Duroc (with his stone boat) and he also has a large ornate fontaine by the road near the bridge at the edge of the village. There’s a primary school where Yuna’s grandmother was the teacher many years ago, two sports fields and a campsite beside the river.
It’s a quiet, well-ordered sort of place, retaining traditional Breton character and customs. But below the surface there are many different stories waiting to be told.
Out now…
THE AMBLING ROCK
is the second in a series of gentle mysteries set in the fictional Breton village of Ploubrannec.
All text and photos on this site are © Wendy Mewes. Please don’t steal my work.
YUNA
After solving the mystery of the Stolen Saint (Book 1), Yuna continues to build a new life for herself back in the Breton village where she was born. There are some bizarre summer festivities to occupy all the inhabitants, but the sacred spring soon hints at more serious challenges for her attention. Can she help her friends' son who has lost his way and seems bent on destruction? And what about Nolwenn, a little girl she is very fond of, who may be in serious danger? The mysterious Ambling Rock also has a role to play in leading Yuna towards understanding and a surprising personal turn of fortune. On her journey she is accompanied by many of the characters from the previous book, although this is also a stand-alone story.
The cover is by my friend, artist Liz Ridgway. Have a look at more of her wonderful work on lizridgway.com
THE STOLEN SAINT - AMAZON REVIEW EXTRACTS:
‘This is one of those books that you don’t want to end.’
‘The pace is gentle but engaging – a feel-good book whose characters are neither heroes nor villains but real people living real lives.’
‘If you’ve never been to Brittany, this novel will certainly give you a sense of place in terms of local culture, spirituality and folklore.’
A SECRET PLACE
“The stream called her long before it was possible to hear its music, but she turned at once towards the massive rocks, like grey whales rising from the misty light of the valley depths. She was holding her breath, waiting, unsure. She reached out to touch the granite surface again and again some ancient spark seared their connection.”
BLASTS FROM THE PAST
Twenty years ago I wrote two novels, Moon Garden and The Five of Cups, the latter also set in Brittany. Both have themes of connection with place, making changes in life and finding that magic really does happen...
The first novel,
The Stolen Saint
is available here
