Talking Location with author Rosanna Ley – Brittany

17th July 2018

#TalkingLocationWith… author Rosanna Ley. BRITTANY is the setting for her novel “Her Mother’s Secret“ set on Belle-Ile-en-Mer

We travelled by ferry over to Belle-Ile-en-Mer – the island in Southern Brittany I’d decided to use as my main setting. Islands are connected to the mainland and yet have an identity of their own. You can travel all the way around and end up where you began – but crucially, you have been on a journey… That was the first seed of the idea for the story of ‘Her Mother’s Secret’.

I wanted to explore the reasons why someone might want to escape to an island – as both Thea and Mathilde do in the story. What do they want to get away from? What is it about an island that makes it such an escapist destination? But as the story began to form in my mind I realised there was a flip side – an island can also be an insular place in which to grow up and live. Colette leaves Belle-Ile after the death of her father because she wants to get away from that insularity, whereas driftwood artist Élodie finds comfort and security in it and is reluctant to leave, even in order to pursue her dreams…

Inspiration for Étienne’s mother’s house in Sauzon

The charming port of Le Palais promised the colour and sense of history that I was looking for but first, we headed for Sauzon, a village of pastel-painted houses set against a picture-postcard harbour and open sea. In Sauzon I spent some time exploring – in order to find the location for Thea’s flower shop. I was drawn by a characterful building with blue and lavender paintwork which overlooked the harbour. I could see the flower shop in my mind’s eye and this became the place in which Colette would grow up, and where she would return at the start of my story when she hears that her mother is gravely ill.

I found the cemetery where Colette’s father would be buried and within sight of the ‘flower shop’ a perfect little cottage painted pink with mint-green shutters. This could be Étienne’s mother’s house – I could imagine Étienne on his return to Belle-Ile, sitting at a desk in front of the open window, writing his story and looking out on to the harbour and the cliff, which holds such difficult memories for him.

We walked along this cliff to discover some of the more secret beaches of the island, where a visitor might come across a couple of goats wandering along the sand (inspiration for another scene) and where that visitor might walk for hours without seeing a soul. Time seems to have stood still on Belle-Ile – this gives it a sense of old-worldliness and tranquillity; I could well imagine how my characters Thea and Mathilde could have arrived – and never wanted to leave…

The character of Élodie – an artist creating driftwood sculptures – needed to live in a more isolated spot where the beaches are wild and where winter storms bring her treasures she can use in her work. The moorland in the north where Sarah Bernhardt lived was perfect – she too must have relished the peace. I modelled The Old Lighthouse where Mathilde lives with Élodie in ‘Her Mother’s Secret’ on the lighthouse there, which shimmers softly in the sea-mist.

Of course, Belle-Ile-en-Mer specialises in delicious seafood, and visitors love to eat oysters at the Hotel du Phare on the promenade. Near this, is a stall where Colette’s father – a fisherman – might have sold his fish. I love the rich, briny scent of working harbours and could imagine Colette as a girl running down the hill to meet him.

Famously, there are mouth-watering galettes and crepes washed down with cider and sometimes a sweet taste of the island’s salted caramel to finish. When I found out about fest noz, a festival of traditional Breton songs and dancing, I decided it would be a perfect opportunity for Colette and Étienne to get to know one another a little better…

We left the island with lots of ideas, photos, a few key scenes already written and most importantly, a good plan of where the characters lived, worked, and acted out their dramas.

Brittany was both enchanting and an inspiration. I could see how Belle-Ile-en-Mer could enhance my themes of loss and forgiveness and how it could be a perfect backdrop for people trying to escape the secrets of their past. The island provided a dramatic landscape, colour and wildness that echoes its winter storms. More than anything it provided the atmosphere for my story – tranquillity, isolation and the touch of magic that I was searching for.

Thank you so much to Rosanna for sharing wonderful insights, this is such a beautiful part of the world! Do hook up with her on Twitter, Facebook and via her website and of course you can buy her novel here

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