The lives of Brest, a dive into 150 years of history of a family and the city

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Norbert André present The lives of Brest, his first work published in May 2024, like a roman-feuilleton. Who tells us about 150 ans history of the city of Ponant, by Pierre Delmas at the end of the 19th century^e century to Éloi, his great-great-grandson, at the beginning of the 21st^e.

The art of the novelist

Generation after generationwe follow the existence of this family, as if we knew it. Because indeed, the Delmasit could be you, us…

And the author takes us in their wake. Passionately. By making us meet characters that we could or could have encountered rue de Siammixed with others that existed. That’s the whole art of the novelist.

Who does not free himself from history. “Between research and writing, I worked for two years on this book,” confides Norbert André. All alone, at home, in Recouvrance, in the afternoon. »

He continues:

Following a family in this way allows historical events to unfold.

In Brest, in France, in Europe, particularly in Great Britain, where he takes the reader on a journey.

“My parents are from Brest, I heard them tell stories about the city before the war, it always interested me. »

“A different, more peaceful time”

He who spent his entire childhood and then most of his life in the city of Ponant, drew on his young years to create his novel. “I was born at the Saint-Louis clinic, rue Colbert, 67 years ago now,” he recalls. I lived in the France of Charles de Gaullethe beginning of black and white TV with Guy Lux and Léon Zitrone, the Tour de France with Poulidor, serials like Belphégor et Swiss roll. » Rocambole which he also read as a child, like The mysteries of Paris.

It was a different time, more peaceful than today, it seems to me.

The man who was a pulmonologist at the Morvan hospital and at La Cavale Blanche where he worked with Irène Frachon, wrote this book because he is interested in everything that affects Brest, the city itself, “ very unique », its characters, its events.

A second novel

His profession served him well when it came to discussing the tuberculosis“the cause of one in three deaths in Brest in the 1960s.” He didn’t think he would publish it. It was his stepson who encouraged him to do it.

Norbert André completes another novelinspired by the occupation of his family’s perpetual concession at the Recouvrance cemetery.

Since Jean-Alain André, born in 1809 in Loperhet and died in 1891. “A state sailor who buried three wives, all of whom were named Marie. »

The story begins in Plougastel-Daoulas and the beginning of the expansion of strawberries, continues in Roscoff with the wine trade, moves to London then to Paris at the time of the 30 Glorieuses to return to Brest. “I got good fun », smiles the former doctor.

The lives of BrestNorbert André. Preface by Roger Faligot. Editions Coop Breizh. 496 pages. Price: 25 euros.

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