Manon Godeau grew up surrounded by books. The granddaughter and daughter of primary school teachers, at home her family would pick up a book like other families switch on the TV. To top it all, her grandmother managed the local library. Such an upbringing made her dream of opening her own bookshop. But she thought that she would never be able to. She had no money and no contacts. After her studies, she focused on the theatre, taking care of advertising, giving lessons and performing in plays. But it was not really her thing. She thought long and hard and finally decided that it was time to take control of her future. Manon had not forgotten about her wish to open a bookshop. She hesitated. She met booksellers who encouraged her, boosted her confidence and introduced her to others in the profession. The "industry" welcomed her in. Yes, she would give it a go. Manon then took a course, got work experience and acquired further experience in various bookshops. In June 2006, she decided to go for it. It was far from easy, especially as the process is sown with pitfalls. She wanted to open her bookshop in a small town - Betton, near Rennes. She carried out market research which filled her with confidence. She committed all of her savings and pitted herself against the local authority to come to an agreement on a building to rent. She waited. She waited until the works on the new media library had ended: she planned to use the former library to house her shop. "There were pitfalls throughout the entire process, but I'm here now!" says Manon happily. On September 1st 2008, her bookshop, Gargan'mots, opened its doors. "The first months have been very encouraging," she shares. The bookshop is finding its pace and there are more and more customers. Manon will be able to dedicate some of her time and energy to organising book-based events. At the centre of the bookshop, there is a beautiful tea room area for such an occasion. How can we not visit such a place?