Chateau Saint Barnabe

More than 30 years ago, in the interval between the wars, Carol Ryrie Brink spent five weeks with her husband and her small son in a typically French pension in the suburbs of Marseilles. In the pension lived an American woman with a French name, Madame Bongalet, whose story Mrs. Brink has always remembered. This little book is her tribute to a tragic figure, and a delightful re-creation of her stay at the "Chateau Saint Barnabe". The story has many ingredients -- the authentic flavor of French life as seen from the inside, a fund of small, delightful incidents, a nostalgic glow, and the haunting story of Madame Bongalet herself. Marshall Davis, the noted illustrator, has made for the book twenty black-and-white illustrations which are the perfect accompaniment to the text. The result is an enchanting book, lit with humor and compassion.