Back in 2007, when I decided to write a story based on my diary, I knew that I would have to change the names of people and places to protect identities. This was especially true with regard to my host au pair family. Acquiring permission from them was out of the question. Totally out of the question. Read my book and you’ll understand. Additionally, over thirty years had passed since I spoke with anyone I’d met in France. I no longer had any contact information.
Map of the Loire
With this in mind, I researched common French names that might fit my characters. I tried them out and retained the names that were a good fit. A handful required more effort. Choosing a name for my main love interest, Adam, was difficult because it had to be a name plausible in both Morocco and France. Songais, the name I chose for the town had to sound French, but it couldn’t mimic any others in the region.
My biggest challenge, was finding a name for the family’s chateau in France. I knew this term would be repeated over and over again and it had to be perfect. I was living in Kirkland, Washington, at the time, which boasts a charming downtown area along the shores of Lake Washington.
Mont Clare in Kirkland
Near this downtown area, there is an old apartment building called the Mont Clare, just off of State Street. My husband and I passed this building often when we walked our dog and on one of these occasions, I glanced at the building and it clicked. I had found my name for the chateau. I would call it the Mont Clare!
I loved the way this name rolled off my tongue. During a rewrite, my editor convinced me to alter the spelling to Château de Montclair, but the pronunciation remained the same.
If you would like to read more about my experiences in France, you can purchase my eBook or paperback at Amazon by clicking on this link, French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley The audiobook version is also available at Audible.com.
Shared your blog on my Facebook page, Stella Lucente French. Love the Mont Clare! Your book sounds like an interesting read for sure. I bet there is some humor…
Aww, thanks, Kathryn, for sharing my blog post. Yes, I was thrilled when I settled on the name, “Château de Montclair,” for my host family’s chateau. It rolled off the tongue perfectly! There is some humor in my memoir, but it is subtle. There is, however, quite a bit of drama.
Great blog as always, Linda. I like the way you came by the name of the chateau. It couldn’t be further from France but a perfect fit for you!
Thanks for your comments, Val. Yes, you are right. I found the name for the chateau far from France. I suppose that’s the way it goes when you change names in your memoir. You never know where you’ll find inspiration. All the best to you.
I’m reading your book now! It’s a great read and I love knowing a little more about this background!
Awww…thank you, Misty, for your kind words. In many of my blogs, I tried to give some background to my story, so I’m pleased to read that you are enjoying learning more about my adventure as a young woman. Once you finish reading my book, can you please leave a review at Amazon? A few words will suffice and it really is helpful. All the best to you and yours.
Have to admit, while reading French Illusions, I found the names “Dubois,” and “Montclair,” very irritating. It screamed “fake!” to me. Probably because Dubois is the most over-used French name in English-language fiction. It’s everywhere. Likewise, Montclair struck me as being very inauthentic, being a little too anglicized and easy for English speakers to pronounce. Then it hit me why you would make these choices: it’s not only reader-friendly for non-French speakers, but clearly indicates that names have been changed. And, this gave the story even more depth and credibility, knowing that under these obvious fictional names are real people, a real place whose privacy must be protected.
Hello Scott. I’m sorry I didn’t respond sooner to your comments. Thank you for posting. I always enjoy hearing from readers. I see you found my blog that explains some of the reasons I chose certain names. I’m pleased you came to the same conclusion as I did. The names of the real people needed to be changed. I will admit that over the years I’ve had a nightmare or two of “Madame Dubois” walking into a book store and picking up my book. Unlikely, but a nightmare just the same, lol.