"The Gold of the Tides" tells the story of the seaweed harvest on the Breton coast at the beginning of the 20th century. These algae, once dried and burned in stone ovens, turned into soda. This product was at the time for medicine or photography.
For the story, the script is based on Joël Raguénes' novel "Le Pain de la mer". The drawings are by Serge Fino known for his saga Les Chasseurs d'écume (already with François Debois in the script) and more recently for the story of Sébastien Destremeau's world tour in Alone in the World .
If L'or des Marées is based on historical facts (François Debois is known for the precision of his texts), this story remains very romanticized with many romantic romances and actors who are setting up in this first volume and whose social difference will complicate relationships. Even if the explanatory texts, particularly on the gathering and transformation of the seaweed, are quite tedious (but unavoidable), the plot and the characters are so engaging that this first volume heralds a beautiful saga.
We still appreciate Serge Fino's drawings, who crunches the Breton coasts with care, embarking us on an old wooden canoe to land on the island of Beniguet in front of the Brest Narrows. No need to be an unconditional fan of Brittany to appreciate this story, which will take all lovers of the sea in the footsteps of Yves Kerléo the hero.
We're looking forward to Volume 2!
The Gold of the Tides - Volume 1 The Harvesters of the Sea
- François Debois and Serge Fino
- Glénat Edition
- 24 x 32 cm
- 48 pages
- 13.90 euros
