Fragments of French, an Unexpected
Journey of the Heart
by Wanda St. Hilaire
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Memoir
(travel)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
After
a harsh brush with her mortality, shadowed by a premature divorce, Wanda St.
Hilaire pledges to be true to her primary passion—living ardently through
travel. On the fateful day her life intersects with Jean-François, a charming
Frenchman, on a bustling street in Lisbon, every fiber of her being feels as
though she has finally entered the doorway to a magical world that she knew
existed since she was a young girl.
St. Hilaire turns a
complicated romantic ballet full of missteps into a collage of people, places,
and cultures. Fragments of French is an exquisitely detailed travelogue of
Portugal, Canada, France, and Mexico, filled with minor characters who delight
with their humanity. However, what really makes this tale a standout is a gift
for pacing and description to rival Tom Wolfe.
The hero’s journey is
not only for the characters of our favorite stories or mythical legends. At
some point, each of us receives the call to adventure. Fate summons the hero;
we can refuse the call, or step into something that will turn our lives upside
down, and potentially change everything we know to be true.
From feeling “completely
disarmed, no fortress standing”, to embracing her untethered strength, the
author turns this account of living life out loud into lessons for us all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
After his shower, Jean-François invites me to join him at a
nearby café he visits each morning before work. He looks squeaky clean and
refreshed. We pass a tiny desk in the dim hallway, and a smiling, motherly
landlady pops out from a doorway, insistent on meeting me. Although this short
conversation is in French and Portuguese, it is clear that she is pleased for
Jean-François to have found a woman, and I can see that she has adopted him as
one of her own.
The noisy pâtisserie has standing-room-only at the bar,
typical for a busy European weekday. Jean-François orders a double espresso and
two pains au chocolat, and I my daily cappuccino. The baker pulls a fragrant
tray of freshly baked pastries from an oven directly in front of us. As I bite
into my croissant, the chocolate still hot and velvety and running down my
fingers, I cannot know that this is a moment I will never forget, and one I
will seek to relive, to re-taste.
He draws me a map of the way back to Rossio on a small blue
napkin, and I leave him only after he boards the bus. Passing businessmen in
tailored suits and starched white shirts, I observe the workaday life of the
Lisboans from my wistful world, a million miles away from my everyday
life—energized by the tender night, twitterpated by the possibility of love,
and high on travel. On the way, I plan for a daytrip to Sintra by train today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Her prime
passion is the thrill of travel—of experiencing other cultures, traditions,
lifestyles, and languages—thus expanding her perspective.
Wanda St.
Hilaire has a predilection and passion for all things Latin, and she believes
life is too short not to do what you love, where you love. She spends time
writing in Mexico for inspiration, and to escape the frozen landscapes of
Alberta.
Through
writing, St. Hilaire shares what she’s learned from the high peaks of adventure
and love, to the dark valleys of illness and heartbreak. Her mission is to help
people overcome the self, and tap into their wise inner guidance system. Her
wish is to inspire others to live true to their unique and beautiful nature.
Fragments of
French on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fragments-French-Unexpected-Journey-Heart/dp/189433115X/ref=sr_1_1
Companion
Poetry Book, Of Love, Life, and Journeys
(Inspired
during the story of my travel memoir, this collection of poems and verse was
first published in 2004 and became a Canadian bestseller for poetry. This
second edition was created as a companion book to Fragments of French,)
Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPp3vMOpFFw
The embed
code for the book video.
<iframe
width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OPp3vMOpFFw"
frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media;
gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Blog:
www.lifebyheart.wandasthilaire.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/wandasthilairethewriter/
Twitter:
@spicytraveler (https://twitter.com/spicytraveler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThe author is having trouble posting, so asked us to post for her:
ReplyDelete"Julie, thanks so much for hosting my book! Unfortunately Google wouldn't accept my comments yesterday. Hope you get a chance to take a peek inside Fragments of French.
Wanda St. Hilaire"