Las pequeñas victorias

Abstract

Kerguen, a small town in Brittany, France, with a population of 400, is struggling to survive while maintaining the basic services the community needs—including the local school, which education authorities plan to close because it does not meet the minimum number of students required for its operation.

The mayor, Alice, who is both the town’s teacher and its heart and soul, lives alone and faces all challenges with courage and a sense of service inherited from her father, who was once the town’s doctor. Her neighbors support her in keeping the community together, especially Emile, a peculiar 60-year-old retiree with a gruff appearance and few opportunities to improve his life.

Following the recent death of her brother, who had always helped her manage household matters, Emile decides to return to school to learn to read and write—and, most importantly, to teach humanity to both young and old.