I know there are no pictures I can publish that would possibly do justice to what your imagination has conjured as you’ve read The Edge of Tidal Pools, but if you’re anything like me, you have a healthy curiosity about the real places that inspire stories.  I thought you might enjoy seeing some of those related to this novel.

“The pier seemed endless…” Jutting out of the coast of Roscoff, this “embarcadere” is the one Casey faces in the first line of the story. Imagine how long it would have looked to Casey’s jetlagged mind and body. It is symbolic of the long journey ahead of her, both physically and emotionally. Here it is at sunset, as it was when she first saw it.

It isn’t much to look at–inside or out–but it is home to Casey during her stay on the island.

When Casey disembarks on that first evening, she faces a long, uphill walk toward the church. The road you see on the right extends from the jetty and continues at a steep incline behind the bushes in the center of this picture.

The houses come in all shapes and sizes and grow out from Porz Kernoc (the harbor). Casey’s house is somewhere in the center of this picture.

A small road runs along the edge of the port, and “Le Bigorneau” is located just to the left of this picture. Notice the stone wall rising from the beach to the road. It’s the one on which Pierrot likes to eat his lunch.

The lighthouse stands on the West coast of the island. A cluster of small cottages gather around it and enjoy a breathtaking view of the rocky shore.

The semaphore is essentially a modern lighthouse. The one on the Ile de Batz is situated on the outskirts of the village, just up the hill from the Kermadec house.

The island’s cement jetty gets covered by high tides. Here you see a ferry docking to unload its passengers. The large outcropping of rocks to the left of it is where Pierrot lies to wait for incoming ferries.