Hi! I'm going to Normandy and the Loire Valley in late April on what I like to call my William-The-Conqueror-Joan-of-Arc-Richard-the-Lionheart self-drive tour. I'd like to find some easy reading with an historical bent for the area. Any suggestions? TIA!

I can't think of any fiction specifically set in that timeframe, but for novels set in Normandy in a later era, I loved several by Guy de Maupassant. He wrote mostly short stories, but his 4 or 5 novels are wonderful. Also, Madame Bovary, if you haven't read it - great evocation of Normandy.

I am also going to Normandy in late April, and am so interested in the historical sites like you are. I'll be driving around different places for 2 weeks. Did the same thing in the Loire Valley a couple of years ago and loved it. Have fun - maybe we'll pass each other on the road!

I just thought of another book you might like - Ina Caro's "The Road From the Past - Traveling through History in France". It doesn't touch on Normandy, but has alot on the Loire chateaux. It's a wonderful book for anyone interested in French history. I first got it at the library,but ended up buying a copy to keep, as it's so full of interesting information on historical sites in France.

Thanks for the info. I was beginning to think that I wasn't going to find any books at all. Sounds like we just might cross paths in France. I'll be Normandy starting April 26 and I head for the Loire on 1 May. I'm excited because I'll be in Orleans for Joan of Arc's feast day. Lots of celebrations both there and in Rouen. Hope you have a great time.

If you are like fiction, why not read Dumas's the Three Musketeers and the Man in the Iron Mask as well? When you visit the Chateaux, you will have fun identifying the portraits of some of the players

If you are interested in reading a trip report, see http://www.sujablogs.blogspot.com/

Have fun!!

Another book you might enjoy reading (not fiction, but delightful reading) is Henry James' "A Little Tour in France". In 1882, he took a 6-week trip by train to various places in France, including the Loire Valley. It's great fun to read his descriptions of the chateaux, churches, towns and people he encountered along the way. I read it a few years ago and am in the process of re-reading now in preparation for my upcoming trip to France. I think this is a "must read" for anybody interested in traveling in France. Although written in 1882, it's still pertinent!