A Village of Vagabonds

"A Village of Vagabonds" by F. Berkeley Smith is a story set in the early 1900s, centering around a main character, an artist, who leaves his easy life behind to live in a unique fishing town named Pont du Sable. The town possesses a collection of inhabitants who are quite friendly and peculiar people, and the artist's move causes him to create friendships, uncover secrets and discover the beauty in life’s simple experiences. As the novel begins, the artist is set on moving to this town, even though his friends don’t want him to go because they see the town as a "lost hole of a village of sacré vagabonds". With the backdrop of the market at Madame Fontaine’s café, the reader learns the artist now desires a peaceful connection with nature, drawn to the marshlands. Through his reflections on his new village and the different people he meets, like the butcher, blacksmith, and mayor, the reader experiences the vibrant world of Pont du Sable, and realizes the coming adventures and relationships.