Fair Stood The Wind For France

Fair Stood the Wind for France, first published in 1944, is author H. E. Bates' fictional account of a downed English bomber-pilot and his crew over occupied France during World War II. The men are taken in by a French family who hide them in their home. However, the pilot, injured during the plane's landing, must remain in France to heal, while his crew begin their journey back to friendly territory. The pilot falls in love with the home-owner's daughter, their relationship grows and eventually they travel together across France, seeking a way back to England.Fair Stood the Wind for France rises above the average romance, however. Set against the horrors of war, it takes on a life-affirming force, enhanced by the simple, yet elegant prose of the author. Bates also excels at evoking a sense of place; much of the story occurs over the course of a hot summer in rural France, and there are many beautiful descriptions of the French countryside as it bakes in the summer heat. In 1980, the book was the subject of a 4-part television mini-series by the BBC.

Young Dominic de Bonhomie departed university with neither degree nor prospect. Wondering what it meant to have truly lived, he was drawn to less trodden paths to seek adventure and connections. Driven by his maternal blood he chose France for his next stomping ground. This account of travel on foot covers the first portion of his French saga. Encountering the unexpected and the delightful, it is a charmed tale of vim exploration through Normandy and Brittany. From pastoral nights under the stars to the cosy sanctuary of a monastery, Dominic weaves his prose as if a tapestry whose threads are visual and sensual impressions, portraits of colourful characters, and the fables of history which come to his attention as he walks through the land.