The Island of Books

In this intriguing and poetic book, Fortier (On the Proper Use of Stars) follows Eloi, a fictional portrait artist in 15th-century France. When an enchanting young subject captures Eloi’s heart and then dies, the bereft painter is taken in by his cousin, a wise and perceptive monk at the venerable Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel. Interspersed with Eloi’s story is Fortier’s first-person narrative, chronicling her personal connection to the abbey and her effort to bring it to life in print. To this end, Fortier shares pieces of the abbey’s history, details on its intricate construction, and the etymology of words such as cloister and novel, rendering Mont Saint-Michel as rich and alive as any character. All of the seemingly disparate elements are artfully blended, merging fact with fiction and history with mythology to reveal deep parallels. The roots of the abbey become indistinguishable from those of the plants in its gardens, and the story of Eloi mingles with Fortier’s own. With the delicate skill of a painter, Fortier presents a beautiful homage to art and its creation, as well as the humanity and life that inevitably rub off on the page or the canvas. (Nov.)